This paper is about protests at EWU which have thrust private university students’ into limelight. This paper focuses on the causes, effects, results and benefits of protest. Protest is the strong disapproval, disagreement or opposition of autocratic behavior. The main focus is on students’ activities during the protests. The unity of students, power of youth, demanding the rights are the spirit of those protests. However, public reaction changed towards private university and it was the main factor. Private university students were claimed timid by the people but this term paper will show how much courageous they are. For example, I have included some incidents and interview. EWU students’ unity was broken by the strictness of authority but in the 2nd protest students proved wrong everyone, and clarified that unity has a power to change the wrongdoing. Private university students’ have the potentiality in their own way and they can raise the voice against wrongdoing in the proper time. The benefits of the protests seem very vigorously and enormously. Authority should be more careful and reliable. Government and law enforcement ought to be more honest and dutiful. Students are sophisticated and they should be handled in a sophisticated way. If the entire community comes forward and works together, then students’ rights can be preserved. For the purposes of my term paper, I proposed to analyze the information about the situations and conditions of EWU at those time and how much effective these protests were for young generations.
‘A strong complaint expressing disagreement, disapproval, or opposition’ is the meaning of ‘Protest’. It may occur in many different ways. East West University is the renowned private institution of Bangladesh. Like other universities EWU also has the glorious and significant past events as well as protest. Three most unique protests are the example of student awareness of student rights, youth power and student unity.
23rd May in 2014 was the remarkable day for EWU. At first glance, students raised their voice against authority on demand of air conditioner, lift, auditorium and other facilities. University should provide the service properly whereas students are paying immense tuition fees with other activities fee. EWU is a non-profit organization whether authority failed to maintain their responsibilities of trustees of charitable organization. In the very beginning, there was no lift service at new campus of EWU. Air condition did not work properly at summer season and students became sick due to intolerable high temperature. There were several problems like lack of auditorium, indoor playground and proper ventilation but authority did not take any initiative before the protest. Students became united during the protest period and university remained closed for 10days.
This protest was the start of a new era for private universities. EWU students opened a face book event and became united. Students showed up as missile likewise warriors. The unafraid students emerged the protest peacefully without any violence. Without having any political alliance and without any political interference students formed their unity. As a non-political group EWU students appeared with youth power and fought for their rights.
As a result, general students got their equipments but authority rusticated three students among all. It was a despotic intention and waywardness of authority. So, everyone’s consolations were with them (3boys) though some students were afraid of authority’s strictness. The Bengali newspaper ‘Bangladesh Protidin’ and other online papers published this news on their daily news portal. Normal students’ condolences were with those three boys. Even still now we remember them after being detached. For instance, two weeks ago an old friend of mine said to me that do not ask anything about it. I do not want to say any word because my favorite three brothers got punishment for a fault which they did not commit even. She also mentioned that authority was too harsh and cruel to them.
Efficiently, one of the three dismissed boys filed a case against EWU and won the case because they were in correct position whether authorities’ allegations were willful. In the meanwhile, three expelled students were the ideal role model of heroic, lionhearted and courageous souls.
After Finance Minister’s proposed budget of 2015-2016, EWU students raised their voice against 10% vat on education. It was a crucial protest not only for EWU students’ but also for all over private universities students’. EWU students’ initiative was breathtaking. First day of protest against imposed vat, students of EWU staged demonstration on 9th September, 2015 by blocking the entry to Aftab Nagar at Rampura. On information, police rushed in and tried to disperse the EWU students. Students chanted slogans blocking the road in favor of their demand. Police charged baton and opened fire on the students. At least 23 students and 1 deputy registrar were injured and were taken to local hospital. This news got viral on social media and students of several private universities had expressed solidarity with the movement. It was an outburst of a series of events because it was a matter of principles.
People no longer seemed able to come together to stand for what they believed to be right but the ‘’no Vat on education’ movement brought out by thousands of private university students which had stirred the whole nation. EWU led this national protest very calmly without any fury. The significance of this mass protest lied in its enormity, its reach, its impact. The significance of this mass protest lied in its enormity, its reach, its impact, on how students carried out their protest peacefully. They chanted slogan, carried placard and signed petition to the Prime Minister. They showed up without any violence or brutality. They gave flowers to the police officers. I was a witness and I closely observed that general people were happy with the matter of protesting; even an aunty gave five hundreds taka in front of me to buy water for students. There was several example of devotion like this one. As a witness of this protest, I can say that that challenging protest proclaimed the power of youth, citizens’ awareness and unity.
‘Education is the great equalizer’ and government obliged to provide the basic needs. Government failed to fulfill the citizens’ right of basic needs and welfares. Government should be more careful. A non-political outrage or turmoil turned into peaceable outcry. EWU students led the protest to secure the students’ rights and dignity in a full disciplinary way. Justice had been served and the glory of joy was not only for EWU, but also for all people.
Convocation is not only a large formal assembly of people but also the sentimental issue for graduates and their parents. Parents are always very emotional for their children and they have always a daydream to attend their kids’ convocation. However, the authority of EWU tried to demolish the wish of these parents. In the recent 17th convocation, they instructed ‘not to bring anyone’ by a notice at 15th January of 2017. The 9th condition of EWU’s convocation notice was “you are requested not to bring anyone with you at the convocation ceremony. You are advised to follow the above instruction to avoid any embarrassment.” EWU students roared against that condition because it was not about money or anything else. The point was the ‘disgrace’ authority had shown towards the parents and their stimulus. Students gathered at the ground and appealed to the authority to permission for bringing parents. Authority considered the sophisticated issue and gave permission to bring only one parent at least. Students become satisfied and agreed with the decision.
Moreover, another joyful victory came and it established that without being member of any political party or without having any political alignment, how to aim or how much easy to get the achievement.
Undoubtedly, we can say that EWU students are the real life legends who helped to combine the people from the isolation. Not only students but also overall people came out from their isolated attitudes. Nowadays, if normal people or citizens of our nation face any problem or turmoil, they upraise their voice against it. For example, recent issues like ‘say no to Rampal power plant’, ‘protest against assault on NSU student in Bashundhara’, ‘suspension of four BCL intern doctors’ and so on. People are becoming aware of their rights and raising their voice with denial. Maybe, they understand that protest is the best way to demand or deny anything. Even private university students were outrageous and called ‘Broiler Chicken’ by public university students and general people. After the consequences of these protests, the viewpoint has totally changed. To some extents, the distinction between public and private university has removed from the society. Unexpectedly, general people supported the peaceful way of protest, how EWU students had performed at it.
Finally, EWU students proved that it is our responsibility to secure our rights, and freedom of speech is too much essential. Protests at EWU are the great example of renewal the standard of redemption for youth generation from arbitrariness of autocratic or anti-democratic society.
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Bibliography:
ইস্ট ওয়েস্টে ৩ ছাত্র বহিষ্কার!
2015 Bangladesh student protests
Bangladesh students protest education tax
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