In the run-up to the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) election, the Islamist student organisation Islami Chhatra Shibir and its allied panel have emerged as a central talking point.
Long sidelined in campus politics, the group has stepped into the spotlight in the post-2024 political context.
From the outset, questions were raised about whether the university administration was deliberately restricting Shibir’s campaign activities while allegedly favouring candidates aligned with the deposed Awami regime.
Shibir-backed “Oikyaboddho Shikkarthi Jote” claimed during their campaign that they were being denied equal opportunities.
Their vice-president candidate, Shadik Kayem, even held a press conference alleging a lack of freedom to campaign. Progressive student organisations also echoed concerns over the commission’s neutrality, fuelling wider debate on fairness.
SM Farhad controversy
The validity of Shibir candidates became another flashpoint. Candidate SM Farhad faced allegations of earlier involvement with Chhatra League, prompting Dhaka University student Fahmida Alam to file a writ petition at the High Court.
A temporary stay order halted the election process, triggering tension on campus, but was quickly overturned by a Supreme Court chamber judge, allowing polls to proceed.
The decision sparked mixed reactions, with some questioning the eligibility of Shibir nominees, while others saw the court’s intervention as safeguarding the electoral process.
The situation escalated further when petitioner Fahmida Alam was threatened on social media. A student leader allegedly linked to Shibir, Ali Hossain, posted that she should face a “march for gang rape.”
The comment sparked outrage across campus, with women students staging demonstrations and faculty members demanding punishment. Though Shibir officially denied responsibility, the incident dealt a serious blow to its image.
Despite repeated attempts to reach Farhad for his comments on the matter, he did not respond.
Allegations of electoral code violation
Accusations of violating electoral codes also surfaced. Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal claimed Shibir distributed food at a faculty event under the guise of orientation while soliciting votes.
The election commission launched an inquiry but refrained from imposing strict sanctions, once again raising doubts about impartiality.
On the first day of campaigning, Shibir posters and banners were torn down near the Faculty of Fine Arts. Their panel lodged a formal complaint with the administration, urging CCTV review, but tension remained high.
Online propaganda and cyberbullying added to the turmoil. Several Shibir-supported candidates, including women nominees, were subjected to insults and smear campaigns on social media.
Female candidates said they felt unsafe, while the administration forwarded complaints to the cyber unit without notable follow-up. Progressive groups and rights activists condemned the harassment.
Another controversy erupted when Shibir expelled its own candidate, Joyen Uddin Sarker Tonmoy, after he described Bir Sreshtho Matiur Rahman as a “hijacker.”
Though the panel quickly disowned him, the remark triggered widespread criticism and accusations of disrespecting Liberation War heroes, further damaging Shibir’s reputation.
At the centre of controversy
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami and its student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, remain at the centre of controversy over their historical and ongoing involvement in violence, intimidation, and ideological influence – both nationally and on campuses across the country.
Tracing its roots to the East Pakistan Islami Chhatra Sangha, the student organisation has been repeatedly accused of perpetuating a legacy of 1971 Liberation War crimes, campus violence, and attacks on women.
Shibir’s Dhaka University activities have also been contentious. In 1977, The Daily Ittefaq documented a picture where members of Chhatra Shongho were collecting signatures to remove the Raju Memorial Sculpture.
During the 1990 anti-dictatorship movement, the university banned its activities as “Paribesh Parishad.”
Nahiduzzaman Shipon, DU General Secretary of BNP, said, “The Chhatra Shibir has not yet clarified its position on the Liberation War. It is impossible to sit with them without clarifying this position.”
After the fall of the Awami League regime in August 2024, Shibir revived its campus presence.
Then, at a 2024 TSC programme, portraits of convicted war criminals were displayed, prompting Abdul Quader, DU convener of the Democratic Students’ Union, to state, “The student wing is making a despicable attempt to erase 1971.”
Ahead of Ducsu elections, Shibir released a manifesto promising safe transport, maternity leave support, self-defence training, free menstrual hygiene products, and zero tolerance against harassment.
Meghmollar Basu, Ducsu AGS candidate, said, “Chhatra Shibir is directly the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami. They cannot legitimise their politics on campus without acknowledging 1971 crimes.”
