Hasina wants Bangladesh Chhatra League leadership picked on consensus

Sheikh Hasina says she wants Bangladesh Chhatra League to pick its new leaders on consensus as the 29th Central Council of the ruling party’s student affiliate has begun.

The prime minister inaugurated the two-day conference of the oldest student organisation of the country at the Suhrawardy Udyan in Dhaka on Friday afternoon.

“The subject committee will sit tomorrow. Those who want leadership have already sent applications,” she said. “I want you to pick your leaders on consensus.”

“You need to learn to sacrifice, otherwise you won’t achieve anything. That’s why I want you to work it out on consensus,” the Awami League chief said.  

She also said the maximum age to become a BCL leader should be 28 years this time.

“We earlier set the maximum age at 27 years. But the current committee is still working nine months after its two-year tenure expired. I don’t want anyone to get left out. So we can give a grace period of one year this time,” she said.

The present committee was formed in July 2015 with Saifur Rahman Shohag and SM Zakir Hossain as its president and general secretary respectively.

At least 325 nomination forms have been sold for the position of president and general secretary this time, according to Chhatra League leaders.

A ‘syndicate’ of leaders has been in discussion for more than a decade regarding the selection of Chhatra League leadership.

However, Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader bluntly said the ‘syndicate’ will not work out this time.

Bangladesh Chhatra League has been criticised for getting engaged in conflicts and crimes.

Even Awami League leaders including Quader criticised Chhatra League on many occasions, especially for "infiltration”.

‘No vandalism’

Hasina said she would not approve of any vandalism at educational institutions.

“No vandalism will be allowed. I won’t allow the students to vandalise their own institutions,” she said.

The prime minister said she has ordered the law-enforcing agencies not to let anyone involved in violence at the institutions off the hook.

Recently the quota reform protests turned violent on the Dhaka University campus as demonstrators fought with police and BCL activists.

The vice-chancellor’s residence also came under attack during the violence.