Student terror-tactics will not be tolerated: Prime minister............

Prime minister Sheikh Hasina has warned that extortion and terror-tactics in the name of student politics will not be tolerated after bloody clashes at Jahangirnagar University recently.

"Those who break laws will be arrested irrespective of who they are and, in case of students, law breakers must be expelled from the respective organisation," the prime minister said at the ceremony marking the 23rd founding anniversary of Bangladesh Chhatra League at Paltan ground Wednesday.

"It would not be tolerated either if others try to create trouble after Chhatra League gets quiet."

"I want to warn all that we have got the skills and popular support. Those who always join the party in power will create trouble to pass the buck on us. We do not want to take their burden on our shoulders," she said.

Referring to the recent bloody clashes at Jahangirnagar University, and the subsequent order for dissolution of the JU unit of BCL, the ruling AL's student front, Hasina said, "The Chhatra League central leaders listened to me, they took steps to maintain law and order."

Criticising some newspaper reports on the intra-Chatra League clash, Hasina said, "Many national dailies had given the previous four-party government one year (before being critical of that government), but they just could not give us one month!"

"Then the newspapers take the responsibility of returning what had been grabbed at that time.

"Why are we discriminateg against so much? Not that I don't understand that. "

She said that the papers were venting the anger for the failure of the 'Minus Theory' on her government.

"But, no matter what anyone says we have promised to the people to work for them."

The prime minister said her government inherited a legacy of extortion, militancy and terrorism from the past BNP-led government.

"The previous caretaker government wanted to purge society of these ills but their plan failed when they became obsessed with the 'Minus Theory," Hasina said.

"Their only success was making the voter list."

She said people were now able to speak their minds.

"In the last two years, under a state of emergency, people could not speak freely, but through the December 29 election the nation made known what they want."

Just prior to Hasina's arrival at the BCL reunion prgramme, altercations and skirmishes broke out between Chatra League factions of Titumir College and Dhaka College over seating arrangements.

State minister for local government Jahangir Kabir Nanak, a former Jubo League pesident, eventually brought the situation under control.