High Court orders govt to form anti-ragging panels

The High Court has ordered the government to form committees and squads to prevent the harassment of newcomers by their seniors in educational institutions in the name of 'ragging'.

Justice Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman issued the order on Sunday following the hearing of a writ petition.

Lawyer Ishrat Hasan, who filed the petition, represented herself in court, while Deputy Attorney General Amit Talukder represented the state.

“The committee will take the complaints of ragging and recommendations, while the squad will prevent and take action against ragging," Ishrat told reporters.

In general, new students face ragging in educational institutes. Ragging has become part of the culture -- not only in universities but also in other educational institutions, said Ishrat highlighting the incident of 11 students getting expelled from Jahangirnagar University recently over the charges of ragging.

The lawyer said many students become traumatised.

Ishrat sent a legal notice on the University Grant Commission and other authorities in October 2019, calling for efforts to stop ragging.

There should be a committee against ragging to help the students and a squad to monitor the issue in every university, according to the notice.

Ishrat later appealed to the High Court seeking a rule on ragging on Jan 8, after none of the authorities responded.

The court in its ruling on Sunday asked why the failure of the defendants in stopping ragging to protect the lives and dignity of the students will not be deemed illegal.

The home secretary, the education secretary and the chairman of the University Grants Commission were asked to respond to the rule.