Leaders of various student organisations, at an event hosted by Dialogue for Democracy on Thursday, emphasised the need for a radical change in student politics to ensure it focuses more on student rights and democratic principles.
The discussion titled "Post-Uprising Student Politics: Exploring New Dimensions" was hosted at Shoparjito Swadhinata on Dhaka University (DU) campus.
Akhter Hossen, former Social Services Secretary of DU Central Students' Union (DUCSU) and General Secretary of the National Citizen Committee, said, "The biggest issue in student politics is the role of the administration. If anyone is responsible for the oppression of students, the administration is primarily to blame. I have filed complaints against the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) with the administration, but they have never taken any action."
He said the failure of the administration to address violence and corruption within student politics, which has caused suffering for students.
Akhter also pointed out the irregularity of DUCSU elections, saying, "The 2019 DUCSU elections was held after 28 years, and now in 2024, another 5 years have passed without any DUCSU elections. If we truly want change, we need regular student union elections. Without this, any changes we discuss will not be sustainable. Every year, student union elections should be mandatory, and everyone must agree on this."
Akhter also proposed setting an age limit for student politics. "We should have an age limit for student politics," he said.
"The longer someone stays in student politics, the more likely they are to become corrupt. This has been a proven trend."
Hasnat Abdullah, Convener of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, underscored the importance of maintaining student politics on campuses, but was highly critical of party-driven student politics.
"There should definitely be student politics on campus, but we need to recognise that party-driven student politics has often acted against the national interest," he said. "If we look at key historical moments like 1948, 1952, 1971, 1990, 2018, and 2024, we see that student leaders affiliated with political parties have consistently stood against the national interest."
He specifically pointed to the role of student political groups in historical movements, saying, "In 1948 and 1952, no one from the Awami League defied Section 144. The role of the Awami League in 1971 is still being questioned. During the 2018 student protests, the Chhatra League's role was also questionable. We have seen the same pattern in movements like the Road Safety Movement in 2018 and the 2024 uprising. Party-affiliated student groups have often stood against the interests of regular students."
Zahidul Islam, Secretary General of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, proposed introduction of a Students Code of Conduct that would apply equally to independent and party-affiliated student organisations.
He said, "We need guidelines that everyone-whether independent or party affiliated-must follow. An inclusive commission should be formed to create this code, and eventually, all student organisations should be unified in adhering to it."
He also advocated for greater gender equality in student organizations, saying, "In most universities, women make up more than 50 per cent of the student body, but when it comes to committee formations, their representation is often reduced to just 5 or 6 members out of 225. This is the height of discrimination. We believe that every university committee should have 100 women and 100 men. If any organisation fails to follow this, we recommend separate committees for men and women."
Meghmallar Basu, Vice-President of Bangladesh Chhatra Union, raised concerns over the centralised power in DUCSU's structure, which he described as undemocratic.
"The president of DUCSU has absolute power-he can dissolve DUCSU at any moment, expel members without cause, and change the rules at will. This is a clear violation of democratic principles," he said.
He also pointed out that the current DUCSU constitution fails to include key democratic principles such as "democracy" and "rights," suggesting that the union's structure is more like a "cultural exchange programme" than a legitimate representative body.
Basu added, "To address these issues, DUCSU's constitution must be changed. It must be transformed into an organisation that fights for democratic rights. Additionally, responsibility for managing halls should be handed over to the administration, as it has been plagued by corruption."
The session was chaired by Sheikh Mohammad Arman, Convener of Dialogue for Democracy. Observers included MAS Wazed, Adviser to Dialogue for Democracy, Mohiuddin Mujahid Mahi, President of the Dhaka University Journalists' Association, and Adnan Mustari, General Secretary of the Dhaka University Debating Society.
