Can the education system bear the weight of frequent violent protests?
Neglected by successive governments, inefficiencies of education administration and governance have festered for years, compounding the current crisis and fueling widespread unrest
When a mass uprising led to the fall of the Hasina regime in August, it was students who were at the forefront of the movement. But nearly four months on, it is the students whose futures seem to be in jeopardy as the country's education system faces severe consequences, with growing fears of its potential collapse.
Amidst one movement after another, the education system remains in turmoil, and the interim government seems incapable of finding solutions.
This sense of helplessness was evident during a press briefing on 25 November, where Education Adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud admitted, "How will all these issues be resolved? I cannot tackle them on my own."
While it is true that addressing the education system's challenges requires time, experts assert that the real issue lies in the deeper structural inefficiencies of education administration and governance.
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Neglected by successive governments, these inefficiencies have festered for years, compounding the current crisis and fueling widespread unrest. Even now, there is an apparent lack of urgency and sincerity with which the interim government is approaching these critical issues.
For instance, one of the major triggers of violence in the capital this month was the demand by Government Titumir College students for upgrading the status of their college to that of an autonomous university. This demand led to three days of rallies on their campus.
On 18 November, the students escalated their protest by descending upon Mohakhali, creating a day of chaos. Traffic movement came to a standstill, and the situation worsened when a train was attacked, resulting in injuries to multiple passengers.
While it is true that their recent demands and the manner in which they have pursued them are nothing short of outrageous, it is also important to recognise that these actions and demands did not emerge out of nowhere. Their grievances stem from a history of mismanagement within the affiliation with Dhaka University.
Since its inception, the lack of proper planning for the academic and administrative integration of the seven affiliated colleges with Dhaka University, including Titumir College, Dhaka College and Eden Mohila College, has resulted in persistent problems, such as delayed exam results, poor resource allocation, and insufficient faculty support.
Dhaka University students equally bear the brunt of this situation as their resources are stretched thin, and as a result, they too seek to sever ties with the affiliated colleges.
The scale of the recent violence is unprecedented in the country's history, Anu Muhammad observed. "The fact that students are becoming so violent is unacceptable. But we must also investigate whether the violence is being carried out by the students themselves or if it is being instigated by others trying to exploit these movements to further destabilise the country," he added.
Despite these long-standing issues, the previous governments largely ignored or failed to address them, leaving the students with little choice but to escalate their demands for a permanent solution.
"As a result, it's no surprise that students' restlessness and movements to secure their demands continue unabated, making it difficult to quell their unrest," said Dr Manzoor Ahmed, Professor Emeritus at BRAC University.
According to him, the country had been in a state of paralysis for a long time. Now, with reforms underway across various sectors, students as key stakeholders in the July uprising believe it is the right moment to push for their demands. However, he pointed out that the relevant authorities have not taken appropriate action.
"Those responsible for managing educational institutions should have first engaged with students to understand their demands and then communicate these to the higher authorities. The interim government should have also taken these demands into consideration, even if they cannot grant all of them immediately.
"The leaders of the student movement could also send representatives to initiate discussions. However, neither the government nor the relevant authorities have fulfilled their responsibilities, and it appears that the country's history of neglect is repeating itself," Dr Ahmed further said.
According to him, while a committee for primary education has been formed, there has been no indication of new ideas or the establishment of a commission to reform the overall education sector, which suggests that the government is still not giving the education system top priority.
"Given that students are the most vocal in their demands, it is crucial to address their concerns in a way that can lead to long-term solutions. Although immediate change may not be feasible in three months, a framework for necessary reforms can certainly be established within six months," he added.
Anu Muhammad, a retired professor of Economics at Jahangirnagar University, also weighed in on the matter, stating that it has become a norm in the country that to get their demands met, people feel compelled to take to the streets and resort to violence. Otherwise, their demands remain ignored by both the media and the authorities.
"As this government has come to power following a mass uprising, there are various expectations from different groups from this government. Unlike previous governments, this one should be more receptive and empathetic towards what students and others have to say. Up until now, the government has failed to react swiftly to these demands," he said.
He also cautioned that while students protest or clash with those from other institutions to assert their superiority, some outsiders with vested interests are infiltrating these movements and trying to escalate the violence.
A series of violent clashes erupted between students from various colleges in Dhaka, beginning with a confrontation on 20 November between Dhaka College and City College students over an alleged assault. The two-hour altercation, involving bricks, stones, sticks, and rods, left 15 injured, prompting Dhaka College teachers to demand the removal of City College from the area.
On 24 November, a fight broke out between students of Bangladesh Textile University (Butex) and Dhaka Polytechnic Institute in Tejgaon, injuring around 30 students before police and army intervened.
Earlier that day, students from Dr Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College vandalised a hospital in Old Dhaka over the death of a student, leading to retaliatory attacks by students from Suhrawardy and Kabi Nazrul colleges the following day. The violent events resulted in injuries among hundreds of students and teachers.
In a press release, Dr Mahbubur Rahman Mollah College claimed that assets worth Tk 60–70 crore were lost during the attack. Additionally, a case was filed against 8,000 to 9,000 students for allegedly attacking students and teachers of the institution, as well as vandalising and looting college property.
The scale of the recent violence is unprecedented in the country's history, Anu Muhammad observed.
"The fact that students are becoming so violent is unacceptable. But we must also investigate whether the violence is being carried out by the students themselves or if it is being instigated by others trying to exploit these movements to further destabilise the country," he added.
To avoid such situations, he suggested that all relevant parties need to be more proactive in addressing the issues before they spiral further.
Notably, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has been observing a week-long National Solidarity Week from 26 November, during which student organisations are visiting various institutions and conveying their message of unity and solidarity.
This decision came in the aftermath of numerous inter-institutional clashes in recent months.
Considering the events of November alone, one must question whether the student body waited too long to take such an initiative. On the other hand, the lack of adequate measures from other relevant authorities suggests that we may not have seen the last of these violent student protests.
