Live Correspondent: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina today warned of punitive actions against instigating students to create unrest in public universities reminding all concerned that these institutions of higher studies are run with public money.

“Leading students to a wrong path through provocation and sweet words is unacceptable . . . nobody can allow this,” she said while inaugurating the Bangladesh Jatiya Sramik League’s (BJSL) 13th national council at Suhrawardy Udyan here this afternoon.

In an apparent reference to the current unrest in Jahangirnagar University and other public universities, the premier said if the situation continued the government might stop funding these institutions which would require agitators or their instigators to bear their study expenses.

Awami League General Secretary and Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader, State Minister for Labour and Employment Begum Munnujan Sufian and AL Labour Affairs Secretary Habibur Rahman Siraj also spoke at the function.

International Labour Organisation (ILO) Country DirectorTuomo Poutiainen, General Secretary of International Trade Union Confederation – Asia Pacific (ITUC AP) Shoya Yoshida and South Asian Regional Trade Union Council General Secretary Laxman Bahadur Basnet addressed the function.

BJSL President Alhaz Sukkur Mahmud presided over the inaugural session of the conference, while its Executive President Fazlul Haque Mantu read out obituary reference and General Secretary Sirajul Islam delivered the welcome address.

Sheikh Hasina said there is no country like Bangladesh, where the public universities provide education to students at so much low cost.

“It’s true that autonomy prevails in public universities in Bangladesh. But it’s the government which provides money … how much money a student of a public university spends for study? It’s maximum Tk 150 a month. Can they pursue higher study with this money?” she questioned.

The prime minister said: “Many people say that they don’t understand the public universities. From this comment, it seems that only those creating disorder (in the universities) understand the public universities.”

Sheikh Hasina said the government will provide money and do all development projects and those staging demonstrations feel very good to accept it. “But the government cannot take any action there, it can never happens,” she said.

The prime minister said there is a saying that “independence is good, but it’s not for boys” and this will have to be kept in mind. “I think it’s better not to speak such type of childish word,” she said.

Sheikh Hasina said Bangladesh is advancing fast as a massive change took place in the last one decade in the country. “But we saw frequent coups, killings and conspiracies after the assassination of Bangabandhu in 1975,” she said.

Dhaka 09 November (campuslive24.com)//IHA