We are shocked and appalled that 40 school children were injured during a protest in their school premises by activists believed to be with the Jubo League. According to the school authorities, the activists had tried to extort Tk 15,000 from them on Friday in the name of arranging National Mourning Day programmes in the area, and beat up a teacher of the school when the authorities refused to comply with the demand. It was to protest this extortion attempt and subsequent harassment of their teacher that the students had gathered on Sunday morning, but the youth wing members pounced on them with sticks and sharp weapons. They mercilessly beat the students, resulting in hospitalisation of 22 of the injured -- 14 girls and 8 boys. 

To begin with, that school authorities should be threatened and harassed for extortion, and that too, for the sake of observing National Mourning Day, is deplorable and does grave dishonour to the memory of Bangabandhu. On top of that, the ferocious attack on young school students, who were trying to stand up for what's right, speaks volumes about the moral and ideological bankruptcy of the said activists. 

The Kachua Jubo League's denial that these men are members of Jubo League imply that the youth wing is unwilling to accept responsibility for the activities of its members --  or at any rate, of people who are using its name to extort money. The ruling party cannot continue to turn a blind eye towards the terrorising pursuits of its activists, the extent of which has been increasing at an alarming rate, defying party exhortations to the contrary. Exemplary measures must be taken, both by the state and the party, to punish the wrongdoers and end the culture of impunity shielding ruling party associates.