Jatiya Chhatri (chhatri.org) – A National Civic and Education-Based Platform for Female Students of Bangladesh
Jatiya Chhatri (chhatri.org) is a people-driven, non-partisan and constitutional civic platform for all talented female students of Bangladesh. It operates under Jatiya.org, and its ideological foundation is rooted in Article 7(1) of the Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, which states that all powers of the Republic belong to the people.
In reality, however, this ownership remains largely confined to paper. Over the past 54 years since independence, nearly 90% of students have seen their education and careers damaged by the political system. Without political patronage, a student today is effectively treated as a minority—deprived of rights, security, and a viable future.
The Real Crisis: Students vs the Political System
Bangladesh has a population of over 200 million. Bangla is the eighth most spoken language in the world. International Mother Language Day originated from the Bangla Language Movement. Yet the reality is stark: higher education in medicine, engineering, law and other disciplines is not delivered in the mother tongue.
Countries such as Japan, South Korea, China and many Western nations produce national assets by providing higher education in their own languages. Due to linguistic barriers, talented Bangladeshi students are compelled to leave the country. Today, it is not only students—doctors, engineers, scientists, lawyers and other highly educated professionals are also forced into migration or exile due to political pressure, discrimination and uncertainty.
The result is devastating: the nation is being drained of talent, and the state is losing its most valuable resource.
Security, Freedom and Civic Participation as Inseparable Rights
The platform’s commitment explicitly links three dimensions: Security – physical, psychological and institutional safety within educational and civic spaces. Freedom – freedom of thought, expression, study and association without coercion. Civic participation – the right to engage in national discourse, accountability and reform. These are not optional extensions of education; they are its preconditions. Without security, education collapses into fear. Without freedom, it becomes indoctrination. Without participation, it loses civic purpose.
Strategic Significance
By anchoring its mission in constitutional ownership, Jatiya Chhatri: Shifts the debate from charity to justice, From political negotiation to constitutional obligation, From protest culture to civic legitimacy. This approach enables sustainable reform without conflict, aligning student empowerment with state stability rather than opposition. Jatiya Chhatri represents a constitutional correction within Bangladesh’s civic framework. It does not seek power over the state, but restoration of ownership within it. A nation that educates, protects and empowers its female students is not weakened by dissent—it is fortified by consciousness.
. Free and Inclusive Education as a Constitutional Obligation
The demand for fully free education for all female students is not an aspirational welfare claim; it is a constitutional and structural necessity for a democratic state. In societies where education is monetised, access becomes contingent upon wealth, geography and social capital. This transforms education into a mechanism of exclusion rather than empowerment. For female students, such exclusion is compounded by systemic gender inequality, security concerns and social restrictions. By insisting on free education: The state acknowledges education as a public good, not a market commodity. Economic background ceases to determine intellectual opportunity. Rural and marginalised regions are integrated into national development rather than left structurally behind. Female students are protected from educational attrition caused by poverty, early marriage and social dependency. In constitutional terms, free education converts formal equality into substantive equality, ensuring that rights are not merely declared but practically accessible.
Inclusivity Beyond Access: Geography, Identity and Structural Justice
True inclusivity extends beyond the removal of tuition fees. It requires dismantling structural barriers rooted in: Regional inequality between urban and rural areas, Social identity, including class and community background, Institutional bias that favours politically or economically connected groups. Jatiya Chhatri’s position reframes inclusion as equal dignity within the education system, not minimal entry. This approach rejects selective excellence in favour of distributed national capacity—where talent is identified, nurtured and retained across all social layers.A nation that educates only its privileged centres does not develop; it centralises inequality.
Mother-Tongue-Based Learning as a Cognitive and National Imperative
Advocating Bangla as the primary medium of education is neither isolationist nor anti-global. It is grounded in established cognitive, pedagogical and developmental principles. Research consistently demonstrates that: Conceptual comprehension is strongest in one’s first language, Critical thinking develops more effectively when complex ideas are introduced in the mother tongue, Scientific and legal reasoning require linguistic precision that second-language instruction often undermines. Teaching medicine, engineering, law and technology in Bangla enables students to master concepts rather than memorise terminology, producing professionals capable of innovation, not imitation.
Language, Equality and Educational Retention
Foreign-language-dominated education systems disproportionately disadvantage: Students from rural and non-elite backgrounds, First-generation learners, Female students with limited preparatory exposure. This linguistic barrier functions as a silent filter, excluding capable students without acknowledging discrimination. Mother-tongue-based education neutralises this filter, transforming language from a gatekeeper into a bridge. In doing so, it: Reduces dropout rates, Enhances academic confidence, Expands participation in advanced disciplines.
Global Competence Without Linguistic Subordination
Jatiya Chhatri does not reject English or other international languages. Instead, it repositions them as tools of engagement, not conditions of worth.
Under this framework: Bangla remains the language of instruction, reasoning and assessment. English and other languages are taught as professional and research skills. Multilingual competence strengthens global participation without eroding national coherence. This model mirrors successful systems in Japan, South Korea, China and Europe, where national languages form the foundation of higher education while multilingualism enhances international collaboration.
Strategic Impact on National Development
Free, inclusive and mother-tongue-based education produces: Higher retention of domestic talent,Reduced brain drain, Stronger alignment between education and national needs, A professional class capable of serving society directly, not just global markets. For female students, this model offers not only access but agency, enabling participation in nation-building on equal terms.
Politics-Free Educational Institutions as a Structural Necessity
The call for the complete removal of political party control from educational campuses addresses one of the most damaging structural distortions in Bangladesh’s education system. Educational institutions exist to cultivate knowledge, critical thinking and professional competence. When campuses are subjected to partisan control, they are transformed into arenas of power contestation rather than spaces of learning. This results in: Normalisation of coercion and intimidation, Suppression of independent thought, Systemic insecurity for female students, Academic decline and institutional paralysis. Depoliticisation does not negate civic consciousness. Rather, it protects academic autonomy, ensuring that students may develop political awareness through education and debate, not through enforced allegiance or fear-based mobilisation. A campus free from party dominance is not apolitical; it is academically sovereign.
2. Neutral Learning Environments and Student Safety
For female students in particular, politicised campuses generate layered vulnerability: Physical insecurity,Social exclusion, Retaliation for non-alignment, Silencing of dissent.
A neutral academic environment restores: Equal access to institutional resources, Freedom of movement and expression, Confidence in educational continuity. Safety is not an auxiliary concern—it is the foundation upon which learning is possible. Without safety, education becomes conditional and participation selective.
3. Merit, Ethics and Equality as the Basis of Opportunity
The principle that opportunities must be determined by merit, integrity and ability challenges entrenched systems of patronage that have distorted access to education, employment and leadership. Political affiliation as a criterion: Undermines competence, Penalises independence, Rewards loyalty over ability. A merit-based system: Restores institutional credibility, Incentivises excellence and ethical conduct,Ensures fair competition across social and economic backgrounds. For female students, meritocracy is not merely fairness—it is protection against exclusion disguised as tradition or power.
4. Ethical Governance and Long-Term Institutional Stability
Merit without ethics is insufficient. Ethical standards ensure that competence serves public interest rather than private gain. By integrating merit with integrity: Leadership becomes accountable, Authority becomes service-oriented, Institutions gain long-term legitimacy. This framework replaces short-term political advantage with sustainable national capacity.
Safety, Voice and Accountability Through Independent Platforms
Jatiya Chhatri’s support for independent digital and civic platforms recognises that rights without mechanisms are illusory. Female students often face: Barriers to reporting abuse, Fear of retaliation, Institutional silence. Independent platforms provide: Secure channels for disclosure, Evidence-based documentation, Collective visibility of systemic injustice. These platforms function not as instruments of confrontation, but as civic safeguards, enabling accountability without chaos.
Fear-Free Expression as a Democratic Requirement
The ability to report injustice without fear is a defining feature of a functioning republic.
When students are silenced:Abuse becomes normalised, Institutions decay internally,The state loses legitimacy. By protecting voice, the state strengthens itself. Accountability does not weaken authority—it purifies it.