Just a month before the campus violence in August 2007, the then caretaker government was planning to impose a ban on student politics, according to a leaked US embassy cable.
Brig Gen ATM Amin, the then counterterrorism chief of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), told some officials of the US embassy in Dhaka about the plan.
"The government will soon announce a ban on student politics, noting that student politics are a potential source of violence that must be curbed," Amin said at a meeting with the then US charge d' affaires Geeta Pasi and other officials on July 17, 2007.
According to the leaked cable sent by Pasi to Washington, Brig Gen Amin, however, conceded that the move could create problems.
Amin, who was one of few influential army officers during the past caretaker government regime, also anticipated the then ban on politics would be lifted in late August/September, "if things work out".
On August 20, 2007, the campus violence began when a few army men beat up three students and insulted a teacher during a football match on the university's gymnasium field. Following the incident, thousands of Dhaka University students took to the streets protesting the incident and demanded withdrawal of the on-campus army camp and an apology from the troops.
There had been pitched battles between students and police forces for the next two days, which left over 250 people, mostly students, injured. As violence spread through educational institutions in the capital and elsewhere, the government imposed a curfew in the divisional headquarters and closed universities and colleges on August 22.
After the violence began, the US embassy in another cable on August 21 said it is no surprise that the unrest broke out at Dhaka University, which traditionally has been at the vanguard of political activism in Bangladesh; for example, students there initiated a movement that eventually toppled military leader HM Ershad in 1990.
"More recently, many Dhaka University students have been rabid supporters of the AL and BNP and have been particularly frustrated by the caretaker government's ban on political activity and its jailing of many of both parties' top leaders on corruption allegations," reads the cable published by WikiLeaks on August 30 this year.
Later, in an address to the nation on September 9, the then chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed announced a raft of decisions, including a relaxation of the ban on indoor politics.
The relaxation of the ban allowed political parties to sit for talks with the Election Commission, as the later drafted a set of proposals for electoral reforms and sought parties' opinion on them.
During the past caretaker government, massive electoral reforms were brought about that forced the political parties to de-link their relations with student organisations to get registration with the commission.
Brig Gen ATM Amin, the then counterterrorism chief of Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), told some officials of the US embassy in Dhaka about the plan.
"The government will soon announce a ban on student politics, noting that student politics are a potential source of violence that must be curbed," Amin said at a meeting with the then US charge d' affaires Geeta Pasi and other officials on July 17, 2007.
According to the leaked cable sent by Pasi to Washington, Brig Gen Amin, however, conceded that the move could create problems.
Amin, who was one of few influential army officers during the past caretaker government regime, also anticipated the then ban on politics would be lifted in late August/September, "if things work out".
On August 20, 2007, the campus violence began when a few army men beat up three students and insulted a teacher during a football match on the university's gymnasium field. Following the incident, thousands of Dhaka University students took to the streets protesting the incident and demanded withdrawal of the on-campus army camp and an apology from the troops.
There had been pitched battles between students and police forces for the next two days, which left over 250 people, mostly students, injured. As violence spread through educational institutions in the capital and elsewhere, the government imposed a curfew in the divisional headquarters and closed universities and colleges on August 22.
After the violence began, the US embassy in another cable on August 21 said it is no surprise that the unrest broke out at Dhaka University, which traditionally has been at the vanguard of political activism in Bangladesh; for example, students there initiated a movement that eventually toppled military leader HM Ershad in 1990.
"More recently, many Dhaka University students have been rabid supporters of the AL and BNP and have been particularly frustrated by the caretaker government's ban on political activity and its jailing of many of both parties' top leaders on corruption allegations," reads the cable published by WikiLeaks on August 30 this year.
Later, in an address to the nation on September 9, the then chief adviser Fakhruddin Ahmed announced a raft of decisions, including a relaxation of the ban on indoor politics.
The relaxation of the ban allowed political parties to sit for talks with the Election Commission, as the later drafted a set of proposals for electoral reforms and sought parties' opinion on them.
During the past caretaker government, massive electoral reforms were brought about that forced the political parties to de-link their relations with student organisations to get registration with the commission.
