Dhaka University
Which party will get the swing votes
Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami’s student wing, Islami Chhatra Shibir, has won a landslide victory in the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election. For the first time, Shibir got the chance to do politics openly at Dhaka University, and with that chance, it crushed all the other student organisations in the election. The main rival was the BNP’s student wing, Chhatra Dal. But it would not be right to call Chhatra Dal a rival; they were sure of winning, just as the Awami League had expected in the 1991 general election.
Badruddin Umar unparalleled in many ways: Serajul Islam Choudhury
Badruddin Umar was an extraordinary man, in many ways he was unparalleled. He too was attacked by the human frailties that exist in society, but they could not divert him. He was not afraid, he did not panic even under state terror. The lure of honour and awards never touched him.
What reforms came in 'DUCSU’ and ‘JUCSU' elections
A day after the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election, the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election was also boycotted by the panel backed by BNP’s student wing, the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal. At around 3:30 pm on Thursday, an hour and a half before the end of polling, they announced their boycott. Their allegation was that the election was not being conducted properly because of widespread irregularities, vote rigging and administrative bias. The panel’s General Secretary (GS) candidate Tanzila Hossain Baishakhi said, ‘From the very beginning we feared it would be a staged election.’
DUCSU Election: Hopes, obstacles, possibilities on path of democracy
If democracy is to be properly evaluated, its practice should begin in educational institutions. Especially at Dhaka University, which is called the centre of the country’s political history, the free election of student organisations is the first laboratory of democratic practice. Many had thought that this year’s DUCSU election could be a new beginning. But the reality shows that obstacles have arisen here too.
What impact could this DUCSU election have on future politics of Bangladesh
From 1924 to 2025, in the hundred-year history of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU), is this year’s DUCSU election going to be the most important? It is difficult to determine which historical events are more significant than others. Often such decisions cannot be made immediately. In the long course of history, many important events fade into obscurity, while some seemingly minor issues shine brightly. Perspective, analysis, bias—all combine to produce different interpretations of events. Even so, it can clearly be said that DUCSU has played a notable role in our national liberation movement, and especially in shaping the society, culture and politics of the Bengali middle-class educated Muslims after Partition.
The Unfinished Autobiography is indeed written by Bangabandhu
Abul Kasem Fazlul Haque. Renowned essayist in the Bangla language, social analyst, literary critic and political thinker. He is currently serving as the President of the Bangla Academy. This former professor of the Department of Bangla at Dhaka University spoke to Views Bangladesh on several recent issues. The interview was conducted by Views Bangladesh Editorial Assistant Shahadat Hossain Towhid.
An open letter to the chief adviser
Dear Sir, With due respect, I state that throughout my life I have tried to live quietly as a law-abiding citizen. At the beginning of life, I was not much attracted to studies, nor was the environment favourable. My grandfather, Alauddin Siddiqui, held the flag of the Congress with Mahatma Gandhi, and in the 1940s with Quaid-e-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah under the Muslim League, in the Pakistan Movement. Sadly, my grandfather Alauddin Siddiqui did not live to see the independence of Pakistan. He passed away before Pakistan was created. Just before its birth, on 14 June 1947, I was born. At one time I took pride that my birth coincided with the birth of Pakistan. As a child, I celebrated Pakistan Day with joy, lighting clay lamps at our village and town houses. Sometimes I lit small candles in a failed attempt to ignite the light of freedom within my heart.
Is there still more to come after Bibhuranjan Sarkar’s tragic departure
Journalist and columnist Bibhuranjan Sarkar went missing on Thursday (21 August). The following day, police recovered his body from the Meghna River at Gazaria in Munshiganj. I first learnt of his disappearance from writer Linu Haque’s Facebook post, and shortly afterwards saw the news of his disappearance spread across Facebook. I called his classmate at Dhaka University and political fellow traveller Jiban Krishna Saha, but he could not say where Bibhuranjan Sarkar’s residence was. I realised then that society had long ceased to have any use for Bibhuranjan Sarkar.
Can interim govt be called govt of spirit of mass uprising
The 2024 student-people’s uprising was a spontaneous mass uprising. Some try to call it a revolution; but there is no scope to call it a revolution, it was simply a mass uprising. The uprising began with protests against quota discrimination in jobs. When the government tried to suppress that anti-discrimination movement in a fascist manner, it carried out the July Massacre. As a result, the anti-discrimination movement first turned into the ‘Nine-Point’ and later into the ‘One-Point’ movement. In this mass uprising Jahangirnagar University played a very significant role.
The more opposition to Bangabandhu, the more he will shine
I first saw Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in person on September 26, 1964, when I had just enrolled in the first year of Higher Secondary at Gurudayal College, Kishoreganj. At that time, Ayub Khan was the President of Pakistan, and Monayem Khan was the Governor. That day, Bangabandhu visited Kishoreganj. He delivered a speech at the Rangmahal Cinema Hall to a small audience, perhaps a hundred people. With him that day were Rafiquddin Bhuiyan, general secretary of Mymensingh District Awami League, Shah Moazzem Hossain, and several other Awami League leaders.