Will the End of Mob Culture Bring Back Constructive Student Politics in Educational Institutions?

Education Desk

Educational institutions are meant to be spaces for acquiring knowledge and fostering human values. However, since August, these institutions have increasingly fallen victim to mob culture, where tolerance and respect for differing opinions have almost vanished.

A heartbreaking example is the harassment faced by Afia Anjum Supti at Jagannath University. While attempting to withdraw her certificates, Supti was targeted by an organized mob involving members of Shibir and other coordinators. Although law enforcement and assistant proctors intervened quickly to prevent an attempt at sexual harassment, her certificates and mark sheets were brutally torn apart. Her bag was looted, and her money, along with her Metro Rapid Pass, was stolen. While she escaped physical harm, the mental and social trauma she endured was immense.

At the root of this issue lies the mob culture created under the guise of campus politics. Attacking and harassing anyone with differing opinions has become a norm. As Zafar Iqbal, a respected academic, once said, *“Where slogans in support of war criminals are raised, I will no longer visit.”* The same individuals who chanted those slogans now create mobs to attack students and jeopardize their academic lives. This raises a crucial question: How can students muster the courage to pursue higher education in such an environment? At institutions like Dhaka University and others across the country, students now live in fear, uncertainty, and anxiety—a grave threat to the future generation.

Like Zafar Iqbal, many of us may no longer feel comfortable visiting our cherished institutions, fearing damage to our dignity and respect.

The question remains: Can we restore the healthy and constructive student politics our campuses once nurtured, free from the grip of mob culture?