Student politics at KMC banned

Authorities of Khulna Medical College (KMC) have imposed a ban on students' politics on the campus.

The decision came at an emergency meeting of the academic council held on Tuesday evening.

The meeting also decided to reopen two dormitories today (Thursday) and resume classes of the college on Saturday.

Following clashes between two rival factions of Chhatra League on the campus on Monday, Principal KP Sarker closed the college for an indefinite period from 4:00pm that day and asked students to vacate their dormitories by 6:00pm.

The academic council meeting on Tuesday formed a five-member committee headed by gynaecologist Dr Shamsunnahar Lucky to investigate Monday's incident on the campus.

Four other members of the probe committee are Dr Haridas Biswas, Dr Bishwajit Basu, Dr Mrinal Kanti Sarker and Dr Tayeb Ali.

The probe committee has been asked to submit report within seven working days to the college principal, said a press release issued on Tuesday night.

Local leaders and activists of the two main student organisations in Khulna have criticised imposition of ban on politics in KMC while a number of general students of the college and their guardians have hailed the decision to ban students politics at the institute.

President of Khulna city unit of Chhatra League Shafiqur Rahman Palash termed the decision as most 'undemocratic and unwise'.

He urged the KMC principal to withdraw ban on political activities on the campus and not to curtail fundamental rights of students merely for a 'trivial' matter that occurred on Monday.

Demanding withdrawal of the ban on politics on the KMC campus, acting president of Khulna city unit of Chhatra Dal Sheikh Saadi said, "General students are not supposed to pay for the offences of two rival factions of Chhatra League."

"The principal has taken a right decision by imposing ban on politics here. We are studying in the medical college to become physicians, not politicians. Closure of the college for political reason has done harm to our education," said Shabbir Hossain, a student of the college.

"The government spends huge money to make a physician. Politics in any medical college is not at all desirable as it disturbs our academic life," said another student Asif Ali.

Hailing the decision to ban politics on the KMC campus, Kabir Ahmed, guardian of a student, said, "There should be a permanent rule to keep both teachers and students of medical colleges away from political activities."