Dilshad Hossain
Various cultural organisations occupied the rooms at the Teachers-Students Centre of Dhaka University soon after the landslide victory of the Awami League in the December 29 national polls.
The cultural platforms that are affiliated to the victorious parties took control of the TSC rooms after the political change-over, saying these rooms had earlier been occupied by the organisations loyal to the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.
Slogan 71, a newly formed cultural organisation, occupied a room in the TSC allotted to the Dhaka Bishwabidyalay Sangskritik Sangsad which used it for the last seven years.
Banglar Mukh, backed by the Chhatra League which is the student front of the Awami League, took control of a room used earlier by Dhaka University Musical Academy.
The room earlier used by Kamal, a musical group backed by the BNP’s Chhatra Dal, has gone under the control of Spandan, supported by the Chhatra League. It was founded by Sheikh Kamal, eldest son of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
Amit Dev Nath, president of Slogan 71, told New Age that Dhaka Biswabidyalay Sangskritik Sangsad was a noted cultural organisation but their activists had served the JCD and Islami Chhatra Shibir.
‘The JCD occupied that room in 2001, which was earlier allotted to Udichi. As per the rules, no organisations with political affiliations can use any TSC rooms which are meant for use only by general students,’ he said.
‘The Bishwabidyalay Sangskritik Sangsad worked for the JCD and its activists were directly involved with that organisation for the last seven years,’ Amit added.
He also claimed that the TSC’s director had given them permission to use the room in response to their application.
Sangskritik Union, an organisation loyal to Bangladesh Chhatra Union, took control of a room which was earlier used by Sheba, a socio-cultural organisation backed the Islami Chhatra Shibir.
Golam Kibria Shaheen, president of the Dhaka University unit of the Chhatra Union, said they had applied for the room and the TSC’s director had allowed them to use it on a temporary basis.
‘Some of our activists are using the room, which had remained locked up since January 11, 2007, for rehearsal,’ he said.
‘Shibir was using Sheba for their covert activities in Dhaka University. We were looking for a place to rehearse in the TSC after the December 29 polls. We found the room empty and sought permission to use it,’ he added.
Before Sheba, the room was used by the Sammilita Sangskritik Jote and the JCD took control of the room after BNP’s victory in the October 1, 2001 national elections.
The TSC’s director, Alamgir Hossain, said they had received some applications but several organisations occupied the rooms, which had been locked up for the past few months, before they were allowed to use them.
‘We have not allotted any rooms to any organisations. We decided not to allot any TSC room to any single organisation so that general students get free access to these rooms for cultural activities like rehearsals.’
He, however, said that they would soon allot TSC rooms to various cultural organisations.
‘The TSC rooms were occupied by organisations with political links for the last few years and they often kept the rooms locked,’ he added.
Courtesy: newagebd.com
