[🇧🇩] Student Politics must be banned from campuses

[Saif]

Refrain from student politics of old

It bear disturbing similarities to the violent, power-hungry politics that plagued our university campuses.

www.thedailystar.net

Refrain from student politics of old
Chaotic launch of a student body harks back to toxic politics of past

VISUAL: STAR

Given the July uprising's promise of a new political landscape free from toxic and self-serving partisanship, students' involvement in politics or any other organised activity has since attracted great interest. On Wednesday, we saw the launching of a new student organisation—Bangladesh Gonotantrik Chhatra Sangsad (BGCS)—led by some former leaders of the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) platform that coordinated the uprising. This was expected to be a step towards that lofty vision. However, we were greatly disappointed to see skirmishes erupting between BGCS supporters and a group of private university students during the launching event.

According to a report in this daily, private university students were protesting their "exclusion" from the central committee of BGCS, demanding its dissolution. This led to scuffles that left several injured, including female students, with at least two hospitalised. Later, the private university students blocked the Bangla Motor intersection for an hour protesting the "attack" by supporters of the BGCS.

The names of six of BGCS's central committee—including chief organiser, convener, member secretary, and spokesperson—that were initially announced had no private university representation. However, on Thursday, at a press conference, the BGCS announced a full 200-member committee that included students from both private and public universities, madrasas, colleges under the National University, and so on. This raises questions about whether Wednesday's clash was a misunderstanding or a symptom of deeper tensions. Whatever may be the reason, such incidents bear disturbing similarities to the violent, power-hungry politics that plagued our university campuses for decades—precisely what the uprising sought to move beyond, among other authoritarian tendencies and practices.

Wednesday's incident thus goes against the values and ideals students were expected to represent. We urge the leaders of the new student organisation, and all pre-existing student bodies, to distance themselves from the divisive politics of the past, unequivocally reject any sort of violence, and ensure that such incidents do not recur. If they are to embody the values of the uprising, they must prove that student politics can be democratic, inclusive, and free of factionalism.​

 

[Saif]

How Umama's call to ban all political activities at DU hall was distorted in the media

Umama Fatima, former spokesperson and coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student movement, has called for a complete ban on political activities by all parties — including leftist, right-wing, and Islamic groups — within Dhaka University’s Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall. However, she

thefinancialexpress.com.bd

How Umama's call to ban all political activities at DU hall was distorted in the media

UNB
Published :
Aug 10, 2025 00:12
Updated :
Aug 10, 2025 00:12

Umama Fatima, former spokesperson and coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student movement, has called for a complete ban on political activities by all parties — including leftist, right-wing, and Islamic groups — within Dhaka University’s Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall.

However, she has alleged that her statement has been misrepresented by several media outlets.

In a letter sent to the provost of Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall on Friday (August 8), a group of students led by Umama Fatima wrote, “We secured a commitment from the hall administration through a collective movement on July 17 last year that all forms of student politics — including Chhatra League, Chhatra Dal, Shibir, BAGCHAS, etc — would be banned in the hall.”

The letter also mentioned this agreement between the administration and general students has been in effect for the past year, which is now being violated.

"However, some organisations have recently resumed their political activities in secret. As a result, the Chhatra Dal hall committee was announced on August 8. We believe this violates the agreement established through last year’s July movement, and betrays the trust of general students.”

Following the letter, several media outlets, including Daily Janakantha, reported that Umama Fatima had called for a ban on all political groups except the left, quoting her as saying: “Umama Fatima wants all parties except the left to be banned in the hall.”

Speaking to UNB on Saturday (August 9) afternoon, Umama denied the claim, stating: “My statement has been distorted in the headlines and photo cards published by Janakantha and other outlets. The journalists have twisted my words. The left is not even a factor in Sufia Kamal Hall — there’s no one here who is actively involved in leftist politics.”

Clarifying further, she said: “In the statement submitted to the Provost Sir, we clearly wrote that all forms of politics should be banned in Sufia Kamal Hall.”

She alleged that despite the ban, activists from several student organisations have continued operating under the radar. “Even before this, members of one organisation installed water filters and chandeliers in the hall. In the case of the chandelier, the Proctor’s Office called the hall authorities and instructed them to approve it.”

“Although hall politics is officially banned, the university administration is indirectly endorsing all types of political activities,” Umama claimed.

In response to her remarks, Sakibunnahar Tamanna, president of Islami Chatri Sangstha at Dhaka University, rejected the allegations.

She said DU Chhatri Sangstha has not been involved in any such activities. There are many students in the hall — I don’t understand why our organisation’s name is being dragged into this.

Meanwhile, on the same night, an online portal named Mirror News published a photocard quoting Umama as saying, “Shibir should publish all hall committees and the Chhatra Dal committee should be cancelled.”

In response, Umama clarified: “I never said Shibir should publish any committee. My point was that those involved in hidden political activities don’t reveal their identities. It’s the administration’s responsibility to identify such students. Student politics at the university must go through reconciliation.”

She further expressed her frustration: “Everyone has a problem with me. If I raise the issue of secret politics, it becomes a problem for Shibir. If I mention committees, it becomes a problem for Chhatra Dal. And if I call for a ban on student politics, the leftists take issue.”

“I’ve decided to take legal action against all of them. I’m not doing this for DUCSU or any political ambition — I’m doing it in the interest of the university’s students,” Umama added.​