POBNEWS24, Dhaka Sept 10, 2025 : Analysts are not surprised by the victory of the United Student Alliance panel supported by Bangladesh Chhatra Shibir in DUCSU. Rather, they believe that Shibir has achieved this result due to its long-term preparation, political strategy and the right position in determining the issues, and their financial capacity is also high.
There were a record number of candidates from political student organizations and independents in this DUCSU election. As a result, the election was very diverse. The Chhatra League could not participate in this election as it is prohibited by the Anti-Terrorism Act. However, they had supporters, which some candidates have also spoken about.
Jamaat-e-Islami’s student organization Imlami Chhatra Shibir-supported United Student Alliance, BNP’s student organization Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the panel of seven leftist student organizations, the Resistance Council, NCP’s student organization Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad, and many other parties were in this DUCSU election. Student leaders who led the 2024 student uprising also ran for office this time.
Analysts’ statement
Anthropology professor at Jahangirnagar University Dr. Snigdha Rezwana said, “I don’t think Shibir’s victory in DUCSU was a sudden or accidental event. It was actually predictable. Their influence and position in Dhaka University has increased a lot in the last 10-15 years. One reason for this is that around 2010-11, the then government instructed Dhaka University to take 10-20 percent of students from madrasas in the name of inclusion. As a result, a large number of madrasa students were able to get admission in the university during this time. And the admission test system is not modern. There cannot be a memorization-based test system. This test system has also given them an opportunity. This happened in the case of medical colleges.”
“Another thing is that in various ways, over the past few years, a racial attitude has been created by bringing up the veil, hijab or burqa. Biometrics are talked about. By doing this, a political issue is created in educational institutions. Earlier, this issue was not there in educational institutions. It was on a larger scale in the country. The previous government tried to scare people with this issue. It tried to capitalize on it. These issues diverted attention from the thought of the rise of the right-wingers. As a result, the environment was created from there for what happened in DUCSU to happen now,” he said.
She said, “There is no other student organization organized like Shibir in Dhaka University, openly or secretly. It is not Chhatra Dal, it is not Chhatra League, the leftists have divided into 14 groups. Shibir is in other organizations besides its own, in various cultural organizations. Their open and secret networks are very large, they can easily create common issues. They can do tagging. As a result, it was conceivable that Shibir would emerge in DUCSU. Those who could not think of it lacked the depth of thought.”
According to him, “Shibir’s victory in DUCSU certainly has an impact and results. The first thing is that Shibir has achieved a big success openly this time in the history of Dhaka University. They have many secret successes. But as a result, first of all, the campaign through which Shibir won DUCSU, it cannot be said that a similar campaign will not be held in the national elections. Another thing is that a cultural struggle has begun in the country. A context for unity among those who are fighting separately here has been created through this DUCSU election.”
Professor of Political Science at Dhaka University, Dr. Sabbir Ahmed said, “In this year’s DUCSU elections, those who were there created an anti-Shibir narrative and campaigned. On one side, Shibir, on the other, anti-Shibir. But those who created this anti-Shibir narrative were divided into many panels. Shibir saw DUCSU as the product of the mass uprising of 24. They used that canvas. And Abid-Meghmallar said that Shibir is anti-liberation, don’t vote for them. They are anti-liberation, don’t vote for them – the voters did not take this direct call not to vote for the candidates. There was a game of narrative here. Others could not use the canvas of 24. And Shibir was ahead in selecting candidates and determining strategies. They went to the doors of the students. The organization also has much more money than others. They got the results of their long-term strategic planning. And Shibir, Chhatra Dal, were victims of torture and oppression for a long time. Because of that, they got sympathy. But Shibir did not sit still at that time. They have worked among students in various ways, expanded and strengthened the organization in different ways.”
He further said, “Since Shibir had no public work in Dhaka University before, it was difficult to directly spread any negative propaganda against them. But the Chhatra Dal that attacked the Shamunnahar Hall in 2002 has been widely circulated among the students this time.”
Regarding the rise of right-wingers, he said, “It is clear that right-wingers have risen in Dhaka University through these elections. But what will they do now? This is a wake-up call for BNP. In 1991, everyone thought that Awami League had come to power. But BNP came to power in the elections. Here too, it is thought that BNP will come to power in the elections. And the history of DUCSU is that those who are in government in DUCSU are judged against them. In the past, leftists have done well in DUCSU. Noor became VP in 2019.”
Former DUCSU GS Mushtaq Hossain believes, “Not all those who voted for Shibir voted with Shibir’s ideology in mind, but they voted out of fear of student politics taking over the campus.”
