NSU promises to uproot militancy after students' link with deadly Bangladesh terror attacks

Under fire over the links of some of its students to deadly militant attacks in Bangladesh, the North South University’s vice-chancellor has described involvement of students in militancy as a ‘cancer’ and pledged to cure it with everyone’s help.

Professor Atiqul Islam was speaking at a discussion on Sunday between the government, law enforcers and authorities of private universities.

The home ministry organised the meeting after revelations that several students of private universities were involved in the recent terror attacks.

Atiqul admitted that his university was facing an ‘image crisis’ following the revelation.

Two militants, killed by security agencies after the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks, have been identified as NSU students.

Hasanat Reza Karim, a Gulshan cafe siege hostage, is among the suspects of the deadliest terror attack in Bangladesh. NSU sacked the teacher for his reported involvement with banned militant outfit Hizb-ut Tahrir.

On Saturday, police arrested the NSU’s acting Pro-VC Gias Uddin Ahsan, his nephew and the manager of his house on charges of sheltering the cafe attackers.

Seven students of the university have been convicted for murdering blogger and secular Ganajagaran Mancha activists Ahmed Rajib Haider in 2013.

“I am announcing solidarity with all. This cancer at the North South University will have to be removed surgically,” Atiqul said in the discussion. 

“I’ve heard about what we should do. Many of these steps have already been taken at the North South University,” he said.

A University Grants Commission (UGC) team visited the university’s Bashundhara campus last Thursday and had some advices for its authorities.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal, UGC Chairman Professor Abdul Mannan, IGP AKM Shahidul Hoque, RAB Director General Benazir Ahmed, DMP Commissioner Asaduzzaman Mia, among others, were present at the meeting.

Monirul Islam, the chief of police’s counterterrorism unit, presented the keynote paper.

VC Atiqul said the authorities of his university were providing assistance to the security forces.

“North South University is suffering an image problem. Names of our former students and teachers are appearing in media reports. I am not denying it. We want to work it out together,” he said. 

“This pestilent germ, no matter from where it came – from the Middle East or Europe through computers or publications – it has come to the country and exploited, poisoned  some people. We’ll have to stop them,” the VC added.   

He said the university will keep a tab on what the students are doing.

“I can reassure you that the students will have to study Bangladesh’s history along with engineering, computer science,” he said.

The VC also urged the parents to monitor what the children are doing on the internet.