Education and Planning Adviser Dr. Wahiduddin Mahmud has made a statement regarding the student movement of seven colleges in Dhaka demanding a separate university and other education-related movements.
In a statement sent to the media on Wednesday (October 30), he said that since the formation of the interim government, students of various educational institutions and various teacher organizations have been protesting with various demands. The government is trying its best to restore order and a normal environment in the education sector, which is in a state of complete chaos. Among all these demands, there are fair and unfair and in some cases contradictory demands. Accepting an anti-discrimination demand can create discrimination in other areas.
He further said that fulfilling the demands of any important reform in the education sector has far-reaching effects and it is difficult to provide an immediate solution for it, whereas the agitators behind all the demands see their demands as the highest priority and consider the demands to be immediately resolved by protesting on the streets. On the one hand, there is immense public suffering due to road blockades; The government is also not getting the opportunity to properly consider the demands.
The education adviser said that the government has already formed a committee with the concerned experts to consider the demands of the students of the seven colleges affiliated to Dhaka University, which will quickly prepare a report within seven weeks. The problem started a few years ago with an ill-considered decision to take seven colleges of Dhaka out of the purview of the National University and include them in Dhaka University. As a result, problems have arisen for both Dhaka University and the seven colleges. Due to which the students of those seven colleges have had to face various difficulties and discrimination. The problems are complex and at least some time is needed to consider what can be a fair solution to them. In the meantime, students of one college have protested on the streets demanding that their institution be made a university on its own. Discussions have already been held with student representatives several times.
He said, as a lifelong teacher, I personally have every sympathy for the fair demands of students in the country's problematic education system. But it should be remembered that there is no precedent anywhere for students to immediately decide to form a new university through blockades, movements and ultimatums on the streets. In such a situation, the adviser requested the students to be patient and return to their respective educational institutions without creating public suffering on the streets.