Desk Report,
Will the left repeat history in the DUCSU elections?
The Resistance Council, a panel of seven leftist student organizations, has fielded a maximum of 12 female candidates in this year’s Dhaka University Central Student Union (DUCSU) elections. Four of the candidates are from minority and ethnic minority students.
Will the left repeat history in the DUCSU elections?
Out of a total of 28 posts, the Resistance Council has fielded 16 candidates from women, minorities and ethnic minorities. Out of these, one is from a special need group.
The slogan of the Resistance Council is ‘Safe Campus through Equality and Resistance’. The leftists believe that diversity, familiarity of candidates and their constant protest role will help them do well in the elections. The question is, can the leftists repeat history? The leftists did well in the DUCSU and Hall Parliament elections held before and after Bangladesh’s independence. At that time, the Chhatra Union and Chhatra League were the two largest student organizations. After independence, the Chhatra League was divided into two organizations called Chhatra League and JSD Chhatra League. Among them, Chhatra League is the sister organization of the Awami League, which is now banned. And JSD Chhatra League is the student organization of JSD.
Since 1963, 13 DUCSU and Hall Sangsad elections have been held. Among the left-wing student organizations, the Chhatra Union candidate has won the VP post four times and the GS post four times. The JSD Chhatra League candidate has won the VP post twice and the BSAD Chhatra League (now defunct) candidate once. In the GS post, BSAD Chhatra League has won twice and JSD Chhatra League once.
The leftists did not do well in the last 2019 DUCSU election. Although that election was extremely controversial. There are now 10 active leftist student organizations on the Dhaka University campus. Out of these, seven leftist organizations have formed a resistance council. The organizations are Chhatra Union (Tamjid-Shimul), Samajtantrik Chhatra Front (Marxist), Biplobi Chhatra Maitree, Ganotantrik Chhatra Council, Pahari Chhatra Parishad (UPDF), Chhatra Federation (National Liberation Council) and Biplobi Chhatra-Youb Andolan.
A panel named ‘Invincible 71 and Indomitable 24′ has been given on the initiative of three leftist student organizations. The three organizations are Chhatra Union (Mahir-Bahauddin), Samajtantrik Chhatra Front (BSD) and BCL (Bangladesh JSD). However, among the leftist panels, the Resistance Council is the one that is most discussed.
Resistance Council’s Associate General Secretary (AGS) candidate Jabir Ahmed Jubel told Prothom Alo, “Our panel has been made up of women, men, indigenous people, Bengalis, all of whom represent Dhaka University with diverse characteristics. They were at the forefront of resistance on campus at different times and are familiar faces on campus through their respective activities.”
Sheikh Tasnim Afroz (Emi) has been nominated for the post of VP in the Resistance Council panel. She was not directly associated with any student organization. She was elected as the VP of Shamsun Nahar Hall Sangsad in the 2019 DUCSU elections. Sources from leftist student organizations said that Sheikh Tasnim Afroz has been nominated as the VP candidate with the aim of forming a panel with students from outside the leftists. Meghmallar Basu, the GS candidate of the Resistance Council, is a familiar face on campus. He was attacked several times by the Chhatra League during the Awami League government that was ousted in the July mass uprising while playing a protest role. He is also known as a good debater.
Meghmallar said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that he has suddenly fallen ill. He will undergo surgery. He will have to refrain from campaigning directly on campus for a few days.
Jabir Ahmed Jubel, the candidate for the AGS post, is the general secretary of the Revolutionary Students’ Alliance. He is also known as a protester on campus. Mozammel Haque, who is the convener of the Socialist Students’ Front, Dhaka University, is the Liberation War and Democratic Movement Secretary on the panel. Nuzia Hasin, the president of the Revolutionary Students’ Alliance, Dhaka University, is the common room, reading room and cafeteria secretary. Both of them are familiar faces on campus.
