For the past few weeks, the Dhaka University (DU) unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal has been attempting to announce hall committees in various DU halls.
According to inside sources, the new committee will consist of members from the university’s 2018-19 session.
This decision has caused senior members to be discontent, demanding the formation of convening committees in the halls that include them.
If the committee is formed with members from the 2018-19 session, it would represent a significant shift for Chhatra Dal as well as overall campus and hall politics.
Traditionally, key positions in hall committees were held by former students long after their graduation.
Since the political upheaval that forced Sheikh Hasina’s downfall, Chhatra Dal has taken careful steps to distance itself from traditional campus politics, aiming to appear more progressive than the Chhatra League, the student wing of the Awami League.
According to the source, excluding “expired” (former) students is part of Chhatra Dal’s strategy to gain broader acceptance among university students.
Representatives of senior batches have already approached BNP Student Affairs Secretary Rakibul Islam Bakul to discuss the matter, but the BNP leadership remains firm.
They are unwilling to make concessions that could invite criticism. One of the Chhatra Dal members, who requested anonymity, stated, “We spoke to Bakul Bhai and even approached someone close to Tareq Zia, but our concerns were not addressed.”
Many Chhatra Dal members from the 2014-2018 batches have not held any committee positions. The previous Chhatra Dal committee, which was only partially formed, included just seven members.
Several activists from these batches expressed feeling sidelined despite their loyalty during the organization’s most challenging periods.
One of the leaders of the university unit Chhatra Dal, speaking anonymously, said, “What future do we have in this organization? If we aren’t included in the hall convening committee now, we will not stand a chance in the next university committee. Junior hall presidents or general secretaries will compete with us, leaving us politically marginalized, even though we sacrificed so much for the party.”
The Chhatra Dal members who support forming the committee, are calling for a seven-day convening committee to honor senior members and preserve the chain of command.
Some are also advocating for the dissolution of the current partial university committee in favor of a full committee to ensure their inclusion.
The Chhatra Dal leadership is reportedly in a state of indecision over the issue.
While they acknowledge the grievances of senior activists, they are bound by party directives, according to a senior Chhatra Dal leader.
GC Roy Shahos, president of the DU unit of Chhatra Dal, told Dhaka Tribune: “Our membership form collection and verification process is nearly complete. If there’s a discussion about committee formation, the organization will take the general students’ sentiments, as well as those of our dedicated leaders and activists, into account, given the context.”
He added: “In this case, in addition to the session or seniority-juniority, our criteria for leadership selection will consider the contributions of activists in the democratic struggle for Bangladeshi nationalism.”
