Chhatra Shakti accuses DU admin of apathy in Victory Month

Jatiya Chhatra Shakti, the student organisation which renamed itself from Bangladesh Gonotantrik Chhatra Shakti (BGCS), has criticised the Dhaka University (DU) administration for what it calls a lack of festive spirit on campus during Victory Month.

The allegations were made at a press conference held at the Dhaka University Journalists’ Association office on Wednesday night (December 3).

Towhid Al Muddassir Chowdhury, president of the DU unit, said that every year the campus becomes vibrant with lighting, discussions on the Liberation War, and cultural programmes. “But this year, there is no celebratory atmosphere,” he said, blaming the administration’s inaction and the apathy of DUCSU representatives.

He also criticised the administration’s decisions following the earthquakes on November 21 and 22. Issuing a directive for students to vacate halls with just one day’s notice was “undemocratic and unreasonable,” he said.

Although the university has extended the vacation until December 28, students have not been given clear information about the condition of the halls or the progress of technical inspections, he added.

During the press conference, Chhatra Shakti leaders also expressed anger over what they termed distortions of Liberation War history. They claimed that the DUCSU Liberation War affairs representative misled students by referring to the number of martyrs and assaulted Birangana women as only “thousands,” arguing that international reports indicate the number of victimized women exceeds 400,000. Such wording, they said, risks distorting history.

Tawhid further stated that the silence of Dhaka University during Victory Month is “alarming,” and that the actions of the administration and elected representatives are obstructing Liberation War–focused activities. “The Liberation War is the highest achievement of the Bengali nation—its legacy cannot be surrendered to fascist forces,” he asserted.

He also alleged that the unplanned vacation will worsen session backlogs and that leaving exam-related decisions to students is unacceptable. He claimed that attempts are being made to politically control the university ahead of the national election.