Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir has reemerged on the Dhaka University campus after three and a half decades following announcement of a new 14-member committee.
The committee was announced through a notification published on the verified social media page of the organization on Wednesday noon.
However, the DU Shibir Secretary Farhad informed the media that the committee was formed back in January.
The information is now being shared solely for introduction purposes.
Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, a party that actively opposed Bangladesh's independence struggle and sided with the Pakistan army during the Liberation War, was banned from operating by Paribesh Parishad, a platform made up of DU authorities and student representatives, following the fall of Ershad in 1990.
Earlier, on August 13, Chhatra Shibir formally participated in a meeting with 35 other student organizations held at Dhaka University.
Many student organizations refused to participate in the meeting, viewing Chhatra Shibir's inclusion as a violation of the Paribesh Parishad’s rules.
However, in the meeting the matter of Shibir's political reinstatement in Dhaka University arose, several sources from the meeting said the correspondent; all the other leaders of the student organization were silent about it.
The sources said that it was an indicator of Shibir reinstatement in DU student politics.
Later on September 21 and 22, respectively, the organization's President, Md Abu Sadik (Kayem), and General Secretary, SM Farhad, had previously made public appearances.
Md Abu Sadik (Kayem) is a student of the 2016-17 session in the Political Science Department, while SM Farhad is a student of the 2017-18 session in the Social Welfare and Research Institute.
Members of the committee
Othermembers of the committee include Mahiuddin Khan, Organizational Secretary, a student of the 2018-19 session in the Public Administration Department; Hossain Ahmed Jubayer, Publicity and Media Secretary, a student of the 2017-18 session in the Islamic Studies Department; Md. Mazharul Islam, Secretary for Student Movement and Human Resource Development, a student of the 2018-19 session in the Islamic Studies Department; Imran Hossain, Office Secretary, a student of the 2018-19 session in the Footwear Engineering Department and Alauddin Abid, Baytul Mal Secretary, a student of the 2015-16 session in the Information Science and Library Management Department.
The rest members are- Hamidur Rashid Jamil, Da'wah and Student Welfare Secretary, a student of the 2018-19 session in the Arabic Department; Nurul Islam Nur, Literature, Culture, and Publication Secretary, a student of the 2018-19 session in the Arabic Department; Md. Iqbal Haider, Science and Sports Secretary, a student of the 2018-19 session in the Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Department; Md. Anis Mahmud Chaki, Education and Research Secretary, a student of the 2018-19 session in the Sociology Department; Riazul Mia, Law and Human Rights Secretary, a student of the 2017-18 session in the Law Department; Hasan Mohammad Yasir, Business Education and International Affairs Secretary, a student of the 2018-19 session in the Accounting and Information Systems Department; Abdullah Al Amin, Skill Development Secretary, a student of the 2019-20 session in the Economics Department.
Regarding the committee, President Sadik Kayem stated: "Unlike other organizations, our committee is not formed in the same way. That’s why our committee may seem to have fewer members. We have various departments to develop students' ethics, morality, skill development, and overall development. These departments oversee our activities."
He added: "Our committee was actually formed in January. Due to the oppression and persecution of the fascist government, we could not publicly announce it. Through the mass uprising of the students on the 24th and the sacrifices of the martyrs, the country has been freed from fascism, and we have regained our rights."
Sadik Kayem told the Dhaka Tribune: “Everyone on campus knew those who were on the committee in 2014 and 2018. Shibir could not officially announce the committee during Sheikh Hasina's regime, but in 2008-09, they publicly announced their committee.”
“According to their structural rules, there are no female members in the committee. However, the Chhatra Shibir always advocates for rights and stands with everyone,” he said.
When asked whether there would be any female in future in the Shibir's committee, he stated that, according to Shibir's constitution and for certain religious reasons, there is no possibility of women joining their committee.
Regarding the agreement with the Paribesh Parishad, he claimed it is a fake agreement and argued that it is unreasonable to stop any particular organization's political activities through an agreement that did not even originate from the state.
He also noted that halting the activities of any political organization through this agreement would be contrary to the spirit of the uprising of '24.