ASIA/BANGLADESH - Students still take to the streets: Notre Dame Catholic University tells how it has managed the protest

Dhaka (Agenzia Fides) - Students have taken to the streets again in Bangladesh. Students from several colleges in the capital, Dhaka, have vandalized the Government Shahid Suhrawardy College to protest the death of a medical student. The demonstrators then went to the Kabi Nazrul Government College, trying to enter the campus, but were unable to do so. Other demonstrators went to the Dhaka National Medical College Hospital, where alleged negligence led to the death of 18-year-old Abhijit Halder on 18 November. The student had been admitted to the hospital, suffering from dengue fever, and died there. Some of his classmates claim that he died due to incorrect treatment and care. This triggered violent demonstrations in the streets. Fearing that the protest could spread to other campuses again, Notre Dame University in Dhaka, a Catholic university officially opened in 2013 by the Congregation of the Holy Cross, issued a warning to its students, asking them not to participate in rallies or violent protests.
Father Patrick Gaffney, a religious member of the Congregation of the Holy Cross, points out that student protest must always be constructive, and aimed at improving the educational system and the study environment. The religious man retraces the history of student protests in recent months and explains how Notre Dame Catholic University has emerged from them unscathed: “The summer of 2024 in Bangladesh marked a turning point, returning to the country the hopes and fears that accompanied its founding in 1971. Hundreds of people lost their lives and thousands were injured in what began as a peaceful protest led by university students against a new law that granted privileged access to public sector jobs. The mass movement took to the streets, defying curfews and clashing with armed police and overthrew the government. Protesters accused the Awami League regime, in power since 2009, of corruption, negligence, forced disappearances, nepotism, fraudulent elections and violent repression of political opponents. The breaking point came when the army intervened to establish an interim government after the prime minister fled to neighbouring India.” “At Notre Dame University in Bangladesh, as at many other educational institutions in the country, the repercussions of the national unrest were felt,” recalls Father Gaffney. At the height of the crisis in July, the government ordered all colleges and universities to close and blocked access to the Internet. As a result, classes at Notre Dame University were suspended. However, when the new government led by Muhammad Yunus decreed an end to the lockdowns, the university reopened its doors and resumed its academic activities. Since the epicentre of the youth movement was at the nearby University of Dhaka, it was not surprising that the University of Notre Dame was also influenced. In this context, the students held a meeting in the university auditorium and drew up a list of “demands” to present to the management of the institution, represented by the Holy Cross Fathers. The religious man recalls: “The situation was unprecedented. The university president, Fr. George K. Rozario, CSC, addressed the students’ demands, which consisted mainly of references to clauses in the code of conduct and constructive recommendations. For example, the code prohibited the organization of private parties on campus and the use of musical instruments. These and other provisions were reviewed, and criticisms about the lack of adequate spaces for extracurricular activities were accepted, and the necessary changes were implemented.” The university implemented significant adjustments and changes. “One request in particular,” Father Gaffney continues, “deserves special consideration: the dismissal of the university’s ‘Proctor,’ the official in charge of discipline, order and security. This position was held by a priest of the Holy Cross, a lawyer and professor at the Faculty of Law.” After a consultation process, and in order to avoid a conflict with the students, the university administration decided to comply with the “request,” accepting Father Lawrence’s resignation and appointing another professor to fill the position. With this measure, classes were restored and academic life normalized. “It can be said that this unexpected gathering of young people reflects a responsible concern for the well-being of the university, as well as a recognition of the efforts to offer a truly student-oriented education. The measures introduced allow the institution to look calmly at this delicate transition." Indeed, the Catholic university was able to channel the spontaneous and apparently 'anarchic' protest of the students, transforming it into an opportunity to implement general improvements in the academic environment and strengthen relations between students, teachers and the institution. In this framework of renewed and fruitful collaboration, the university has announced the opening of a new Department of Microbiology, which has already welcomed its first group of students in the four-year degree program. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 25/11/2024)

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