BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed has termed the decision of student representatives to join the government as “wrong and unfortunate,” saying it undermines their role as a pressure group and weakens their potential to contribute to state-building.
Speaking at the third session of Tarunyer Rastrochinta (Youth’s State Vision) dialogue at the Diploma Engineers Institute in Dhaka’s Kakrail on Saturday (September 20), Salahuddin said, “In democratic practice, no one can be in government and in opposition at the same time. The day student representatives went into government, I understood that they would no longer have a role in building the state.”
He further noted, “If they had stayed out of government responsibility, they could have remained as a pressure group. Their exit from that role is a setback for democratic activism.”
Calling on student leaders to reflect on their choices, he added, “It’s not for me to urge them to leave the government — the realization must come from within.”
Turning his attention to Jamaat leaders, Salahuddin criticized their recent remarks about determining who would form the government and who would remain in opposition. “Is this something you decide on your own, or is it for the people to decide? If you have such confidence, why not join elections instead of creating obstacles?”
On the ongoing political dialogue, he said, “You cannot hold discussions and simultaneously wage street agitation. That is self-contradiction. We are negotiating on the legal foundation of the July Charter. We want a solution through dialogue, not more crisis.”
He urged all political actors to maintain unity, warning against imposing demands forcefully on the nation. “Any party can make demands, but forcing them upon the nation is wrong. The changes we want will not come overnight. Let’s not create new crises; let’s preserve unity.”
Addressing the country’s education system, Salahuddin pointed out structural flaws: “Here everyone aspires to get a master’s degree. But in developed countries, not everyone pursues higher studies after the 12th grade. Only those interested in research go for a master’s after graduation.”
