Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina yesterday stressed the need for building Chhatra League with the right values and ideals so that the country might get its future leaders from the student front.

“The Chhatra League should be built imbued with moral values and ideals. The future leadership will emerge from this organisation,” she said.

The PM was addressing a programme marking the 72nd founding anniversary and reunion of Bangladesh Chhatra League at the capital’s Suhrawardy Udyan.

Hasina, upon request from Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader, declared that from now on acting BCL president Al Nahean Khan Joy and acting general secretary Lekhak Bhattacharjee would be its full-fledged president and general secretary.

The PM, also the chief patron of Chhatra League, said students are the future of the country and its future leadership must come from the meritorious and brilliant students.

She said it is not possible to build leadership without ideals, moral values, and honesty.

Coming down heavily on military rulers and autocratic governments who had grabbed state power illegally, Hasina said Ziaur Rahman used the meritorious students by giving them arms and money.

“He used brilliant students giving them arms and money...he ruined the lives of many brilliant students.”

The PM said she had seen during the tenures of Ziaur Rahman, HM Ershad and Khaleda Zia that brilliant students were used as armed cadres and militants in other heinous activities to secure their power.

Former BCL leaders Khaleq Mohammad Ali, Tofail Ahmed, and Obaidul Quader also spoke at the event.

Hasina inaugurated the programme through hoisting the national flag with the national anthem playing. She also witnessed a colourful cultural programme.The BCL, the country’s largest student organisation, came into being on January 4 in 1948 at the advice of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.