Obaidul Quader terms strikes in educational institutions an ‘evil trend’ and vows to stop it

The Awami League general secretary has termed strikes in educational institutions an ‘evil trend’ and blamed the heads of the institutions for the disruption in educational activities.

Obaidul Quader, a former Bangladesh Chhatra League president, was speaking at the inauguration of the 69th anniversary programmes of the Awami League’s student affiliate at the Dhaka University on Wednesday.

“Today, some educational institutions are getting shut indefinitely. It’s an evil trend. It’s a great failure for an educational institution,” he said.

He said there will be organisational and administrative actions for any trouble which creates unwanted situation at campuses leading to the closure.

“It’s not the job of the head of any educational institution to put the students to uncertainty by closing the institutions for an indefinite period using the situation as an excuse,” Quader added.

The Awami League general secretary said, “I want to make it clear that indefinite strikes and closures will not be allowed. It is the failure of those who run the organissations.”

BCL was formed as ‘East Pakistan Muslim Chhatra League’ at Dhaka University’s Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall on Jan 4, 1948. The word ‘Muslim’ was dropped before independence from Pakistan in 1971 and the organisation was christened Bangladesh Chhatra League after independence.

Its current President Saifur Rahman Sohag presided over the inauguration ceremony moderated by General Secretary Jakir Hossain.

A procession was also brought out from Madhur Canteen to mark the day.

In his speech at the inauguration, Quader also urged the education minister and heads of the institutions to organise elections to the students’ unions.

Quader, who is also the road transport and bridges minister, asked the Chhatra League leaders not to allow any “outsider to dominate the committee”.

Awami League Joint General Secretaries Mahbub-Ul-Alam Hanif, Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Dipu Moni, Organising Secretary Ahmed Hossain, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury, Enamul Haque Shamim, and former Chhatra League leaders spoke at the programme.