The alarming surge of ragging in Bangladesh’s public universities demands urgent and decisive intervention. The recent rise in these incidents has raised serious concerns regarding the safety and well-being of freshers.
A glaring example of this bad environment has unfolded at Rajshahi University, where Mohammad Rocky, a fresher of the Philosophy Department, submitted a written complaint to the university administration on Monday after being harassed and threatened by the Marketing Department’s two senior students.
The incident mirrors similar occurrences in the country’s several public universities in the past, such as Dhaka University, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Begum Rokeya University, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University and Islamic University in Kushtia. Although the university’s administration occasionally took steps, such as the expulsion of perpetrators, the measure appears to be insufficient in curbing the bad culture of ragging.
We all remember Islamic University student Fulpori Khatun’s ragging incident, which was particularly shocking. Some seniors tortured her physically and mentally, confining her to a dormitory room. Although the accused were expelled after the incident, such barbaric acts continue to occur, raising question about how effectively universities are safeguarding the students. Such incidents are not isolated but reflect a broader culture of impunity and neglect.
Ragging now is far from an inoffensive initiation. It has become a medium for senior students to assert dominance and control over freshers. The fresh students eager to enter into university life, are forced to tolerate degrading conduct, such as verbal abuse, physical and mental torture.
To eradicate the bad culture, the university administration must adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards ragging. This includes stern monitoring of dormitories, classrooms and other campus places where ragging generally occurs. Freshers must be enabled with confidential, safe channels to report incidents of ragging and prompt and transparent investigations must follow. Those found guilty should face severe penalties, such as permanent expulsion from the universities.
To eradicate
the bad culture, the university administration must adopt a zero
-tolerance approach towards
ragging. This includes stern monitoring of
dormitories, classrooms and other
campus places where ragging generally occurs.
Furthermore, universities must shift from reactive to proactive approaches to handling the ragging issue. Anti-ragging strategies should be clearly communicated to all students from day one, with an orientation programme focusing on the negative impacts of ragging. Together with disciplinary measures, universities should ensure the availability of mental support services for victims of ragging, providing counseling and proper mental health care to help them recover from trauma.
Besides, universities must recognise that ragging is not just a disciplinary issue but a violation of human rights and dignity. It undermines the core values of higher education, which should be built on respect, freedom and individual development. Students, particularly freshers, should feel safe in their learning environment, free from fear, torture or bullying.
The government must also play a significant role in this fight by formulating strict laws that ban ragging and hold culprits and negligent authorities liable. Law enforcement agencies should be involved in serious ragging cases and universities should work closely with legal authorities to ensure that justice is served.
The country’s universities must take immediate, sustained and strict steps to eliminate it once and for all. A university should be a place for learning, innovation and individual growth— not intimidation and torture. Only through collective effort from university administration, the government and society at large can we ensure that all students, regardless of their background, can pursue their learning in a safe and sound environment.
