Posters put up by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) across Dhaka University (DU) campus and its residential halls to mark BNP's 'National Revolution and Solidarity Day' on October 7 provoked strong reactions from students of the university on Wednesday.
The posters, which appeared in residential halls where political activities were banned following the ouster of Chhatra League (BCL) in mid-July, fueled concerns about a potential return of student politics to the dormitories.
The controversy sparked a protest in the early hours of Thursday, with students from Bijoy Ekattor Hall marching to the Vice Chancellor Chattar at around 1:00am. The protest was soon joined by residents from other halls, all condemning what they saw as an attempt to revive political activities in the halls.
On condition of anonymity, one student expressed frustration and said, "On July 17, we freed ourselves from the control of BCL. We promised that student politics would be banned in the halls. Now, we see efforts to bring it back. We won't accept this."
Protesters also criticised the posters for making the halls resemble political offices rather than academic spaces.
Another student said, "This feels like the first step toward reintroducing politics in the dorms. We won't stand for it."
In response, JCD President Rakibul Islam Rakib acknowledged student concerns and clarified that the party had no agenda to bring politics into the halls.
"We respect students' sentiments. I've instructed our leaders not to engage in political activities inside the halls," he said, suggesting the posters may have been put up by some JCD members without the party's approval.
Despite Rakib's comments, students remain firm in their opposition, vowing to resist any attempts to reintroduce politics in the residential halls. They called on university authorities to protect the autonomy of student spaces.
Meanwhile on Thursday, Bangladesh Students' Union and Socialist Students' Front in a joint statement condemned the demonstration demanding ban on political activities on the DU campus, calling it politically motivated and undemocratic. Besides, they rejected a notice issued by Sergeant Zahurul Haque Hall administration prohibiting posters and wall writings without prior approval, viewing it as an authoritarian move.
However, after the ouster of BCL leaders and activists from DU halls on July 16, provosts of all residential halls issued notices, reportedly under pressure from students, enforcing a ban on political activities within the dormitories.
Following the fall of Sheikh Hasina on August 5, the students escalated their demand, calling for a complete ban on politics of all student organisations across the campus.
However, as time passed, the demand was narrowed to a call for a ban on political activities only in residential halls and academic buildings.
