At the end the long waited and much debated elections of the central student unions of the oldest and largest university of Bangladesh, Dhaka University (DU) was held on Tuesday 9 September 2025. Two days later, the same election was held at the only residential university of the country, Jahangirnagar University (JU).
The results of the elections in the two universities surprised many conscious citizens of Bangladesh, and its neighbouring countries. The victory of the Bangladesh Islami Chatra Shibir (BICS) in both cases is viewed, almost universally, as landsliding and eye opening.
Although, BICS snatched, apparently unreachable, victory due the spontaneous support of the ordinary students, especially those of the female students, they did not bring any victory procession or any kind of public celebration. Instead, they quietly offered prayers and observed fasting to express their thankfulness to Allah.
Ironically, BICS was effectively banned by the previous ruling parties for decades in both Universities and its associates faced continuous oppresseion and torture for their political ideology.
The nation has praised the Hon Vice Chancellor of Dhaka University, Professor Niaz Ahmad Khan and his colleagues for managing DUCSU election. Except for some politically biased teachers, the Election Commission of Jahangirnagar University must be thanked for completing the JUCSU elections despite a lengthy manual vote counting process.
Mr Jahidul Islam, Central President of BICS, declared that they will not celebrate this victory, rather they will work together with students of all persuasions and backgrounds to improve the quality of higher education in this country.
The elected officials of DUCSU went to visit the family of the journalist who died during the covering the election and the Shahid Buddhijibi Cemetery to offer their respect and duwa without any fanfare.
They also met with veteran politicians and former Vice Presidents of DUCSU, Mr Mahmudur Rahman and Mr Nurul Haque Nur and sought their guidance.
Elected DUCSU members
Regardless of the people and party that won the DUCSU and JUCSU elections, the ultimate victory is for the spirit and determination of July 36 of 2024. Every elected candidate received support of their fellow students in these elections were exclusively based on their involvement, role, contribution and sacrifice in the student-people uprising in July-August 2024.
The young and educated cohort of our nation have demonstrated their unwavering commitment and determination to remember and achieve the dream of over 1400 martyrs and 40000 injured street fighters of very difficult days. They have not, and can’t forget, or abundant their fellow travellers, and betray with their blood and sweat.
The main reason for the win of BCIS in the elections is their leading role in the July 36 movement and contribution of their leaders who became popular icon among the general students. They also have organised many eye-catching and heard-touching events at DU to focus various aspects of the July-August 2024 movement graphically and virtually.
They have provided a sense of security to the female students and promised to address their genuine problems, if elected. Moreover, they have been supporting many students by helping them to prepare for the admission, find accommodation, and provide academic and financial support. The concerned students found that BICS was already in action to support them even before getting elected.
It seems some people misread the minds and thoughts of the students and tried to use the old under the table deal method to divert the students from their aspiration of electing their own representatives from among themselves without any outside interference. The BICS has categorically rejected any proposal of election engineering by politicians to manipulate election results to share positions with other loosing student parties.
The leaders of BICS and their candidates in the elections demonstrated high level of morality and good behaviour with fellow students and teachers. The general voters in both Universities, especially the female students, have put in more trust and felt sense of security with the leadership and workers of Shibir than their opponents.
The election win of the BICS at DU and JU is not any ideological revolution. It is win of the participatory, inclusive and student-need based approach to work together regardless of differences.
The inclusion of female students, even without Hijab, as well as blind and non-Muslim candidates in their panel is reflective of our society and great example of not only accepting the diversity but also working closely with them as a unified team. No secular or nationalist groups have ever done this in the history of Bangladesh.
Living in two most successful multicultural countries in the world, Canada and Australia for over 37 years, and working with many Multi-Faith and multicultural organisations and winning numerous awards from various Australian government offices, I find the wisdom of BICS simply outstanding and groundbreaking, especially in a Muslim majority country.
Their approach is also close to the prophetic tradition engraved in the Charter of Medina to live in peace and property in a City with mutual respect and responsibilities of diverse population.
What we have been observing in our universities is a generational shift to rediscover our own identity and ancestral tradition to regenerate the self-determination to unify the people for a corruption free prosperous society to be led by educated, honest, patriotic, and qualified skilled professionals without any foreign dictation.
This shift is not any ideological revolution or blind support for any party. It is misleading to interpret the new way of thinking of our un8versity students as support for any political ideology. However, it is clear that university students don’t like any political ‘tag’ or attack on their religion, rather they open to learning and practicing their religion.
Obviously, the decision of the university students will have some kind of impact on the national elections and international analysists. Political parties will have to decide how they could align their party policies along the line of the aspiration and expectation of the students, not ignoring the fact they don’t like forceful grab of power by manipulating election system or threatening the voters.
They have seen the evil faces of vile corrupt politicians, police officers, government administrators, journalists, judges, teachers, artists, and businessmen, and hate to see their return to continue their shameless and ugly oppression under another signboard or umbrella.
The students have realised that India has proven through their naked political, economic and cultural intervention in Bangladesh that they are not any friend of Bangladesh. Any political party or intellectual/cultural group seen to be working for the interest of India in Bangladesh is likely to be rejected by the students and people at large.
Elected JUCSU members
I believe, BICS will continue to work for the educational reform in Bangladesh to prepare graduates with knowledge of modern disciplines/skills who will be morally strong and ethically upright.
However, the DUCSU and JUCSU must work for the structural change in the higher education sector and enforce cultural shift in the research and innovation space at the universities to regain the intellectual and creative prestige of our nation.
Mr Abu Shadik Kayem, the newly elected VP of DUCSU, and his team has a lot to do with improving accommodation, food services, healthcare, facilities development, transport etc, they also need to work to replace the current disgraceful public university admission system taking huge toll of the admission-seeking students and their parents, restructuring recruitment and promotion system of the teachers, evaluation of performance and assessment methods, recruitment and support for quality PhD students, resourcing lab equipment, secure research funding, improving university ranking status, to mention a few.
The sky of Bangladesh is unprotected at the age to sophisticated air defence systems. We need serious thinking about the national priority research to create new technologies and put in place appropriate air defences system as a matter of urgency.
The nation has huge potential, our young people are highly talented and creative – they need guidance, support and resources to take our nation to the next level at the global stage.
Many among the older generation in Bangladesh cannot think out of the box, they are happy with the routine work. This will not take our nation anywhere. Most of them refuge to leave their comfort zone of maintaining status quo.
For the future of our new generations, and that will come after them, we must plan now and set up the parameters that will benefit our children and beyond. The leaders of DUCSU and JACSU along with those in other prestigious institutions have a gigantic task to reshape this nation, if they wish to realise the dream of our heroes in 2024, 1971, 1952, 1947, and earlier.
Bangladesh must be in the process of progression acknowledging the contribution of all national heroes and build on to their sacrifice through dedication, sincerity, honesty, unity and patriotism.
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