Meghmallar Basu, general secretary candidate from the Protirodh Parishad panel in the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election, has strongly criticised Indian Congress leader Shashi Tharoor for his recent remarks on Bangladesh’s political trajectory.
In a Facebook post on Thursday night, Meghmallar said he was sure his message would not reach Tharoor and even if it did, the Congress leader would not take it seriously because his English was not as “fluent” as Tharoor’s.
Claiming to represent Dhaka University’s progressive students, Meghmallar noted that despite alleged interference by state agencies, the rise of “Islamo-fascist tendencies,” and the overwhelming use of money and muscle, he had secured nearly 5,000 votes in the DUCSU polls.
Taking issue with Tharoor’s assessment of Bangladesh’s right-wing politics, Meghmallar wrote: “Your observation that people are tired of corruption in major parties and are looking for alternatives is correct. But you fail to realise that your comments are only helping the ultra-right in Bangladesh. Without the slightest humility, you are unknowingly running a public relations campaign for Jamaat.”
He further termed Tharoor’s concern over the victory of Islami Chhatra Shibir “hypocritical,” pointing out that Tharoor himself once tried to exploit the Sabarimala issue in Kerala to defeat the CPI(M) through right-wing propaganda. “So, the first challenge for you should be to defeat the Hindutva forces in Indian politics,” he remarked.
Meghmallar added that those who failed to defeat Modi and Amit Shah in three consecutive elections should not concern themselves with student politics in another country. “India’s role in Bangladesh has already become so toxic that your statement only strengthens Shibir,” he said.
Mocking Tharoor, he wrote: “If you have too much free time, you can do more stand-up shows. The last one was quite entertaining.”
Affirming the determination of Bangladeshi students to resist communal politics, Meghmallar said: “We will take care of our own responsibilities. Hopefully, the Indian people will one day succeed in defeating the Hindutva fascists at the ballot box. Here, we are ready to give our lives, if necessary, to resist Islamo-fascists. We will stand by each other. But please stop preaching—we are no less than you in any way.”
Earlier, Shashi Tharoor had expressed concern over the sweeping victory of Jamaat-e-Islami–backed student bodies at Dhaka University, calling it an “ominous signal” for Bangladesh’s political trajectory and for relations with India.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Tharoor wrote that while the development may not have stirred much attention in India, it was a worrying portent of things to come. He observed that frustration with both major parties—the now-banned Awami League and the BNP—was driving many towards Jamaat, not out of religious zeal but because the party was not yet tainted by corruption and misrule.
Tharoor further asked whether this trend would be reflected in the February 2026 national elections and if New Delhi would then be dealing with a Jamaat-majority government next door.
