The interim government has banned Awami League's student organization, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). A notification signed by Senior Secretary Md Abdul Momen of the Public Security Division under the Ministry of Home Affairs in this regard was released on Wednesday. Overhaul of constitution, BCL ban: Anti-Discrimination Student Movement issues five demands According to the notification, over the past 15 years under the Awami League government, Chhatra League has been involved in various activities that disrupt public safety, including murder, rape, torture, harassment in student dormitories, and tender manipulation Additionally, the notification mentions that there is sufficient evidence indicating that BCL continued to engage in conspiratorial, destructive, and provocative activities against the state, as well as various terrorist acts, even after the fall of the Awami League government on August 5. Consequently, the interim government has declared a ban on Bangladesh Chhatra League under Section 18(1) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009.

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of the ruling Awami League, has dissolved its Comilla University unit committee. A statement signed by BCL central committee president Saddam Hosain and General Secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan, was issued in this regard on Monday. According to the statement, the committee was dissolved due to the expiry of its term, organisational inactivity, indiscipline, and 'involvement in unconstitutional activities'. The now dissolved Comilla University BCL committee was formed naming Ilius Hossain Sabuj as president and Rezaul Islam Mazed as general secretary, in May 2017. Later in November that year, the then BCL Central Committee led by Sohag and Jakir approved the full committee of CU Chhatra League.  

A case was filed at Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate court on Wednesday against eight Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) activists of its Eden Mohila College unit including president Tamanna Jesmin Riva and general secretary Razia Sultana on charges of attempt to murder. Taking the case into cognizance, Dhaka Metropolitan Magistrate Syed Mostafa Reza Nur instructed Lalbagh police to investigate the matter and submit a report on October 23. Eden college BCL vice president Jannatul Ferdous submitted a plea to file the case at the court. The other accused are- Nujhat Faria Roksana, Meem Islam, Nur Jahan, Ritu Akter, Anika Tabassum Shorna and Kamrun Nahar Jyoti. According to the case statement, three to four BCL activists including Shorna entered Jannatul’s room at the instruction of Riva and Razia with local weapons and vandalized her belongings in her absence on September 24. They also looted cash Tk 20,000, gold ornaments and her laptop. The eight accused also physically assaulted Jannatul in front of Ayesha Hall of the college, leaving her critically injured. Later, teachers took her to a nearby hospital. The accused also threatened to kill her if she does not leave the campus. Earlier on Sunday, BCL suspended all activities of its Eden Mohila College unit committee following infightings between its two groups which left at least eight people injured. BCL also expelled 16 leaders and activists from the organisation for violating the rules.

At least seven activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal(JCD) were injured in at attack allegedly by Chhatra League (BCL) men on Dhaka University campus on Tuesday. Some activists of BCL attacked JCD activists when they tried to enter the campus through "Gonotontro O Mukti Toron" gate at Nilkhet point to submit a memorandum to the VC on various problems of the university and different dormitories, said witnesses. 

The protesting factions of Bangladesh Chhatra League’s (BCL) Chittagong University unit withdrew their indefinite blockade on Tuesday a day after enforcing it demanding posts in the full committee of the unit. Upon assurance from Chittagong City Awami League General Secretary AJM Nasir Uddin, the six sub-groups of CU BCL withdrew the blockade, said CU BCL vice president Rakibul Hasan Dinar. Another group, followers of Deputy Minister for Education Mohibul Hassan Chowdhoury Nowfel, also withdrew the blockade, he added. Meanwhile, CU acting registrar Professor SM Monirul Hasan said the main gate of the university and the transport office cannot be put under lock and key from now on. The university administration will issue a notice in this regard. “The administration will take  action if anyone locks the main gate,” he added. A group of BCL leaders and activists started protest around 8 am on Monday and locked the main gate of the university, halting classes and exams of the university. Teachers’ buses could not leave the campus for Chattogram in the morning, university. Besides, the shuttle train service also came to a halt, he added. The agitated BCL activists placed a three-point demand including posts in the committee. Earlier on August 1, BCL activists, who didn't get any posts in the new committee, enforced a blockade programme halting classes and exams of the university following announcement of the full committee of the unit. After three years, the full committee of the CU unit of BCL was announced on July 31.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Wednesday asked Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), the student wing of her ruling Awami League, to work for boosting food production in the country as the world might face a deeper food crisis. “If needed, our Chhatra League will have to help farmers plant paddy seedlings as they did in harvesting paddy (during the Covid-19 period),” she said.   The premier was addressing a discussion organised by BCL at Bangabandhu International Conference Centre here to mark the National Mourning Day of August 15, the day the country’s architect Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was assassinated along with most members of his family in 1975. Hasina, also the AL president, asked every BCL member to plant trees massively besides cultivating crops and thus increase food production in respective village home and the place of living – it may be a hostel or educational institute. This is needed as the world might witness a dire situation and the foods might not be purchased despite having money. “So, we will have to produce our own foods,” she added. The PM also asked the BCL members to exercise austerity in the use of electricity, water and fuels amid the world economic crisis. She urged the BCL members to build them as worthy citizens by attaining proper education. “I want skilled human resources and that is why I’ve established lots of universities to meet the demand as it is time for science and technology and 4IR,” she said. Describing BCL as a large organisation, the prime minister said many outsiders infiltrated into it as Awami League has been in power for a long time. Infiltrators make trouble, but BCL is to bear its blame, she said. Read: PM participates in extended discussion in JS on global roots of local suffering  Hasina asked the BCL leaders not to allow infiltration of bad guys into the organisation for strengthening their own groups. “If you do it, it will ultimately invite bad names for yourself, the organisation and the country,” she said. “There is no word (criticism) about so many misdeeds Chhatra Dal did in the past. But if a trivial matter occurs in Chhatra League, big news stories are run,” she said, asking the BCL leaders to be careful of its image. The PM urged the BCL leaders to be imbued with patriotism, non-communal spirit and the ideology of the Liberation War in order to acquire true leadership quality for leading the country rightly in future. Noting that there is no use of money and assets in many cases, she said, “If anyone can go above personal desire and gain, he or she would be able to develop him or her as a true leader.” About the August 15 carnage, Hasina said her father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib could never believe that any Bengali could kill him. He had brought the independence of the country and always lead a very simple life despite being the president and the prime minister of this country, she said. Recalling the contribution of Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa to the struggle for freedom, Hasina said her mother used to take care of not only her family but also the organisation when her father was in jail. The PM said her mother had never bothered her father over the familial affairs. Bangamata had helped her husband make timely and right decisions regarding national life and the freedom struggle. “The dedication of my mother is incomparable. My father was very lucky that my mother had no personal desire or never wanted anything for her personal interest,” she said. The premier also unveiled BCL's two publications -"Matribhumi" and "Joy Bangla" at the event. BCL president Al-Nahean Khan Joy presided over the function, moderated by its general secretary Lekhak Bhattacharjee.  

Five activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) were placed on a 2-day police remand each on Tuesday in a case filed over the sexual harassment of a female student at Chittagong University.  Chattogram Judicial Magistrate Farzana Akter passed the order after police sought a 7-day remand for the arrestees, said Ruhul Amin Sabuj, officer-in-charge of Hathajari Model Police Station. Those remanded were Mohammad Azim, 23, a second-year student of History department of CU, Nurul Absar alias Babu, 22, second year student of Anthropology department of CU , Nur Hossain alias Shaon, 22, a first year student of Hathazari Government College, and Masud Rana alias Masud, 22, and Saiful Islam a second year student of the same college. On July 17, a female student was sexually assaulted by five youths while she was going to the Botanical Garden from Pritilata Hall of the campus with her friend around 10pm. Read: CU student assault: Police seek 7-day remand for arrestees The goons also captured the incident on video and threatened to make it viral. Later, they fled with the mobile phones and wallets of the two students. A five-member body was formed to investigate the assault after the female student filed a written complaint to the proctor. A case was also filed under the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act accusing five people. On July 19, after the university authorities set the time limit for female students to enter the residential hall before 10 pm after the incident students started a movement against the decision. Since hundreds of CU students have been staging protests, holding human chains every day on the campus demanding justice for the female student.

A student of  Rajshahi University  has been assaulted allegedly by some activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) at Madar Bux Hall as he asked them not to smoke in the television room. The victim is Shahabuddin Ahmed, a master’s student of Bangla department, who works for online news portal www.bdmorning.com and is also a member of Rajshahi University Journalist Association (RUJA). Also read: Tension mounts as BCL, JCD clash at DU Witnesses said RU BCL Madar Bux Hall unit vice president Giasuddin Kajol along with two of his fellow activists beat up Shahabuddin as objected to his smoking in the television room while watching an IPL match on Sunday night. “While watching the cricket match, Giasuddin Kajol, a fourth-year student of History department, started smoking cigarettes, making him and the others feel uncomfortable,” alleged Shahabuddin. Later, Shahabuddin was taken to the university medical centre for primary treatment. Professor Ashabul Haque, proctor of the university said, “We will take necessary steps against the accused after an investigation.” Meanwhile, RU-based journalists staged a sit-in at night in front of the vice-chancellor's residence demanding immediate action against the BCL men and the removal of the Madar Bux Hall provost. Later, the journalists withdrew their sit-in programme at around 2 am after the pro-vice-chancellor Professor Sultan-Ul-Islam assured them of meeting their demands by Monday. Also read:DU student assaulted ‘by BCL man’ for not offering salam Nuruzzaman Khan, president of Rajshahi University Journalist Association, alleged that he along with his fellow journalists contacted the hall provost several times over phone, but he did not respond to their call. “Instead of coming to the hall and taking necessary steps to solve the problem, the hall provost made the journalists wait in front of the hall gates for three hours, and later refused to come down”, Nuruzzaman added.

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal(JCD) will have to repent first for their previously made insolent comment on PM Sheikh Hasina and attempting to enter the Dhaka University campus, said Al Nahiyan khan Joy, president of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) central panel "If they(JCD) do not repent, they can't enter DU campus and general students will strongly prevent them," he said at a rally held on Sunday at DU campus in protest of JCD attacks in the campus on May 24 and 26. Also read: JCD leader sues 33 BCL men for 'attempted murder' BCL activists from residential halls of DU,  Dhaka College, Eden College ,  Badrunnesa College , Home Economics College along with BCL units of other educational institutes joined the protest rally. Mentioning corruption of BNP and JCD,  Al Nahiyan Khan joy said, "They polluted the students politics of this country. BNP made Bangladesh a champion in corruption and handed arms to the students." "Many JCD activists are admitted at the hospital though they were not hurt following the order of BNP leader Tarique Rahman. Even Bangladesh Chhatra Shibir president was seen visiting hospitals consoling with JCD in this incident," he added. "General secretary of the Chhatra Dal and the leaders of the Swechchasebak Dal violated the limits of audacity in their speeches in front of the press club and in DU campus saying that they want '1975' once again and they will roar for it if needed. This statement justifies the killing of Sheikh Mujib and proves the involvement of Zia in the killing,” said Lekhak Bhatyeecharjee, general secretary of BCL. Also read:Tension mounts as BCL, JCD clash at DU “They are trying to establish murder politics in Bangladesh.  Bangladesh Chhatra League will strongly suppress every one of such attempts," he added.

BNP Secretary General expressed disappointment as the chief justice (CJ) did not issue any statement condemning the Wednesday's violence on the High Court premises by Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). Speaking at a discussion programme, he also said the BCL’s attacks on the leaders and activists of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) have exposed Awami League’s true nature as a ‘terrorist' party. Also read: BNP holds talks with Labour Party to wage united movement “The terrorists of Awami League and the killer forces repressed our children by beating them on the streets using dangerous weapons with a motive to kill them. We saw the terrorists also repressed the democracy-loving students entering the high court premises,” Fakhrul said. He further said, “It’s unfortunate that the chief justice did not issue any statement on the incident. “Even those who taken the charge of the Supreme Court Bar Association by force didn’t issue any statement,” Fakhrul alleged that the government has turned all the state institutions into subservient bodies to the ruling party through politicisation. Referring to his visits to different hospitals to see the injured JCD leaders and workers, Fakhrul said it is unthinkable how a person could be beaten in such a way and pushed towards death. “One of our daughters was attacked and repressed so heinously that she is now in the ICU. This is the real trait of Awami League.” Also read: Govt unleashes BCL to attack JCD on DU campus: BNP A faction of National People’s Party (NPP), one of the components of the BNP-led 20-party alliance, arranged the discussion programme at the Jatiya Press Club. Fakhrul said their party leaders and activists have been subjected to repression over the13 years by the ruling party in various ways.  He said their party has already begun talks with political parties to ensure the fall of the current government by waging a greater united movement. “One thing I would like to request the political parties to carry out a struggle from their respective position to restore politics," he said. He said the political leaders have agreed to work together and unite the nation. "We believe we can make it a solid shape and start a greater mass movement to oust this government,” the BNP leader said. Stating that no credible election is possible under the current Awami League government, he said the next election must be held under a non-party caretaker government to ensure people’s voting rights.