Jamaat leader Shamim loses party posts over DUCSU remarks

Jamaat-e-Islami has removed Mohammad Shamim Ahsan, assistant secretary of its Barguna district unit, from all party positions following his controversial remarks describing the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) in derogatory terms.

In a statement issued on Monday (January 26), signed by Barguna district Jamaat amir Maulana Mohibullah Harun, the party said Shamim Ahsan’s comments at an election rally on January 25 had deeply hurt and angered people from all walks of life, including current and former university students.

The statement said the remarks had damaged the party’s image and were inconsistent with Jamaat-e-Islami’s principles and organisational discipline.

Shamim Ahsan made the comments on Saturday night during a campaign meeting in Kata Khali area of Patharghata for Jamaat-backed Barguna-2 candidate Sultan Ahmed, claiming that DUCSU had previously been “a hub of drugs and prostitution” and that Islami Chhatra Shibir had transformed it.

Video footage of the speech circulated widely on social media, triggering strong backlash. Several media outlets reported on the incident, while Dhaka University authorities formally condemned the remarks.

DUCSU leaders also threatened to file defamation cases against Shamim Ahsan.

Amid growing criticism, Shamim Ahsan issued a video message on Facebook on Sunday night, apologising to Dhaka University students for his comments.