Chatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir reach Agreement, Shibir leaders and activists re-enter hall

Jatiotabadi Chatra Dal and Islami Chhatra Shibir have agreed to peaceful coexistence at the residential hall of Government Madrasah-e-Alia in Old Dhaka. The compromise was reached during a meeting mediated by the madrasah administration, one week after a clash between the two student organizations, leading to Shibir leaders and activists re-entering the hall on Monday afternoon.

On August 4, a clash broke out between Chatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir at Jagannath University centered around programs marking the second anniversary of the July Mass Uprising. Consequently, the violence spread to the front of Government Madrasah-e-Alia later that afternoon. Following hours of clashes, Shibir activists left the area, after which Chhatra Dal members entered the hall, asked general students to leave, and locked the entrance gate.

When Shibir members attempted to return to the hall on Sunday, police intercepted them. Later that night, administrative officials including the Principal and Vice-Principal of Government Madrasah-e-Alia held a meeting with leaders of both organizations. Hamidur Rahman Hamid, BNP Member of Parliament for Dhaka-7, and Kamal Hossain, Jamaat-e-Islami Member of Parliament for Dhaka-5, were also present at the meeting.

During the discussion, leaders of Chatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir agreed to maintain peaceful coexistence, mutual respect, and harmony in the hall. They pledged to refrain from activities that cause conflict, chaos, or disrupt the academic environment.

The meeting was attended by various local leaders on behalf of Chatra Dal's Dhaka Alia Madrasah unit, while Chhatra Shibir was represented by its Central Publicity Secretary S. M. Farhad, Dhaka City East Unit President Imdadul Haq Miyaji, and Government Madrasah-e-Alia Unit President Abdul Alim.

Saad Chowdhury, a leader of Chatra Dal's Dhaka Alia Madrasah unit, stated that both sides presented their grievances during the meeting. Ultimately, it was decided through consensus to resolve the hall seat allocation issue, for which Chatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir will hold separate discussions with the administration.

He added that Shibir activists entered the hall between 2pm and 2:30pm today in the presence of campus authority and police administration. Students possessing valid hall cards or those who have applied for them are currently moving into the hall, while efforts are ongoing to determine seat quotas for both groups.

Daud Khan, Publicity and Media Secretary of Chhatra Shibir's Dhaka City East unit, stated that they have no intention of engaging in conflict and expressed hope that both organizations will maintain peaceful coexistence in the hall and on campus in the future.

Regarding seat allocation, he noted that Chhatra Shibir has demanded that seats be distributed based on merit to legitimate students, presenting an 11-point demand to the administration, with final decisions to be made after further administrative meetings.