Our scheduled term final exam was to be held on 3rd June 2006. And the routine was good enough. But some football freak students raised an illogical demand to postpone the examination. After 2 or 3 processions of students(there were also some anti-postponement processions) BUET authorities postponed the exams till 14 July. The new scheduled date of examination was 1st August,2006.

Now, after a few days we came to know that our new term is going to be held in December-January. After the long vacation of the World Cup, we are still going to get a new long vacation! (Why??)

Then a huge number of students proposed two things -

1. We are ready for exams if the authorities ensure that the new term will begin in September.

2. If not, then we want one more week as preparatory leave.

The second demand may seem t illogical to all. But some students were suffering from viral fever and could not prepare for the exams. And we are sorry to say that it has become a tradition that BUET students try to extend the preparatory leave and the BUET authorities allow it all the time!! (after 2 or 3 processions)

Now, the authorities gave a notice that they won't disclose the starting date of the new term before the exams and they will take the exams from 1st August. After that students reacted and organised processions once again. This situation continued for 2 days.

Students surrounded the Vice Chancellor's office and demanded a decision. At 5.30pm our VC called a meeting. In the mean time, hundreds of 'Danga Police' surrounded the campus. At 9:00pm the meeting was over but the decision was the same(!!). The students who were waiting for a good decision all day long, became excited and only two or three students threw bricks on the glasses of the cafeteria. After that the police attacked the students with teargas and rubber bullets.

We don't understand why police were deployed and allowed to attack students.

You concluded the editorial of August 2, 2006 with "what a pity". Indeed! What a pity! The BUET students asked for and got their final examinations postponed by more than two months so that they could stay up all night and watch World Cup soccer matches.

Classes were not held during this time as well. This could happen only in Bangladesh. Not a single school was closed or exams postponed in Germany, where the soccer matches were played, or in any other country, for that matter.

In my opinion the BUET administration made the first mistake by entertaining such an unreasonable demand. Now their only option is to stick to their guns and keep the campus closed until the hoodlums are brought to justice. If they don't, they will relinquish their control (if they have any) for ever.

As a BUET alumni, I am saddened to see my beloved university in such chaos.

Siraj Haque, Houston, Texas, USA

It is really a shame to learn that some BUET students went on the rampage just for deferment of their exams. The BUET authorities did the deferment twice due to World Cup. Here we go. The World Cup, where Bangladesh did not participate and in foreseeable future do not have any chance of participating, has a big impact on the country. We do not want to work properly; we do not want to study properly due to the World Cup.

The countries which participated in the World Cup did not show this kind of a lousy and irresponsible attitude. Everything was open, Everybody worked properly, studied properly and also supported their country. There was no news of closure of any university.

The BUET students are the brightest students of our country. If we see this kind of behaviour from them, the future of our country cannot be very bright.

The matter deserves a closer look.

Some students On email