Movement seeking BCL ban likely soon

The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, which spearheaded the recent mass upsurge resulting in the fall of the Awami League government, is likely to go for a movement demanding banning Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL).

The demand for banning BCL, the student wing of the Awami League, has been rising since the fall of the fascist Sheikh Hasina government on 5 August after levelling it as a 'terrorist organisation' for its various criminal activities.

Its suppressive role during the quota reform movement and subsequent mass upsurge fuelled people’s anger against the BCL.

Ultimatums have also been given from various quarters to the government to ban the BCL.

While speaking at several places recently, Mahmudur Rahman, editor of the Daily Amar Desh, has demanded that the BCL be banned. "The BCL should be declared as a terrorist organisation and banned within a week," he said, while addressing a programme in the capital on 6 October.

His ultimatum will end today. It is believed that people may start a movement under his leadership to realise the demand.

It is alleged that the BCL did not allow any other student organisations to do politics at the field level for implementing various agendas of the ousted government. During the quota reform movement and mass upsurge, the BCL men attacked students. Since then, general students have called the BCL a 'terrorist organisation'.

Meanwhile, the movement to ban the Chhatra League is likely to start from Chattogram.

The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has given an ultimatum to the interim government until today to meet the demand, threatening to wage a strict movement from Chattogram from tomorrow.

Russell Ahmed, the central coordinator of the platform, said, "Until 36 July (5 August), the Chhatra League brutally attacked the students almost every day. The activists of BCL killed more than 20 students in Chattogram, Feni and Cumilla. So, it's a terrorist organisation. We've announced the start of a movement from Chattogram to ban the Chhatra League."

He also said the movement will press for banning all the organisations associated with the Awami League and its allies.

After the fall of the Hasina government on 5 August, the BCL has not been seen publicly yet. Although several leaders and activists of BCL were arrested across the country, its President Saddam Hussain and General Secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan went into hiding.

Dhaka University General Secretary Tanbir Hasan Shaikat was among the arrestees.

Meanwhile, Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Adviser Asif Nazrul has said the demand of students as well as conscious civil society for banning the BCL has now become a popular demand in Bangladesh.