Why this delay in holding DUCSU election?

Shamim Hossen, a student of the Department of English at the University of Dhaka, is currently in the spotlight as an independent candidate for the post of Vice President (VP) in the DUCSU elections. He spoke to Views Bangladesh on several key issues including the DUCSU elections, campus politics, structural reforms, democracy, and student rights. The interview was conducted by Views Bangladesh reporter Farizul Islam.

Views Bangladesh: Why did you decide to run as an independent candidate in the DUCSU elections?

Shamim Hossen: There’s really no such thing as "independent" in student politics because all students are independent by nature. You know DUCSU is a student union election. Students, by definition, are independent. If you imagine political parties bringing in hired crowds from villages on trucks for rallies and apply that same image to the campus, it would be a failure of the campus system. Since I’m participating in a student election, I’m standing as a regular student. My supporters are simply friends who might help with some of their time — some may, some may not. Being "independent" doesn’t mean being alone. There’s no need for a full panel. I’m not contesting a national election.

To me, Dhaka University is not a political institution. DUCSU’s job is to create academic accountability. Based on that, I believe each position should ideally be contested by individuals. Students will vote for individuals who they think can deliver. That person may be part of a panel or may run alone. If you believe someone can do the job well, vote for them. That way, we get the best people. There’s no point voting based on panels. So I decided to run independently. If I become VP, every student will feel a sense of connection and comfort because, like them, I’m also a student. Therefore, I’m running as a student — alone.

Views Bangladesh: What is your primary goal in contesting the election?

Shamim Hossen: My main goal is tied to my long-standing involvement with academic life. I’ve worked with political theories and various critical issues. As a long-time student of Dhaka University, I feel we must bring about changes before leaving this place. There’s a lot of nostalgia about the 90s — people say “the spirit of the 90s is back.” But what does that mean? There’s a museum in DUCSU, and ironically, the people who built that museum also sent DUCSU itself into a kind of museum — by shutting it down once they came to power. The dominant student organizations now were in power back in 2003/4/6 — they were the ones who shut down DUCSU. But DUCSU is supposed to be the voice of the students. Also, there’s a hostile relationship between the state and Dhaka University. Every time a new government comes in, they try to grab university land — even though the university existed before Bangladesh itself. Canteens in DU are in poor condition compared to other universities. Why? Because DU is treated as a "worker factory" — parties use students for their political showdowns. There’s also a deliberate limitation created — a demand-supply crisis. For example, there may be one seat available but ten students needing it. It’s suggested that only those involved in politics will get the benefits. That’s a form of manipulation.

The state has betrayed us. It holds us hostage. If we don’t support their agendas, our problems won’t be solved. Look at the remittance economy — those workers are not highly educated. The garments industry — again, not run by highly educated people. But they fund our universities, and when their children try to get in, they’re manipulated. There are teacher and staff syndicates, they have good buildings. But the students — those who pay for all this — get nothing. Students are treated like NGO project beneficiaries. Like taking a loan to buy a cow, but using the rest of the money elsewhere. Others benefit from us, but do nothing for us.

Some university teachers are more focused on becoming Vice Chancellors or CEOs than on teaching. This doesn’t happen elsewhere in the world. In Asia, teachers used to be respected like gurus — but now they’re self-serving. Student politics has become anti-student. Who cracks down on protests first? The ruling party's student wing. It’s a kind of proxy system. For example, at Rokeya Hall, members of a student group aligned with the ruling party — along with the police — attacked female students. Before the July uprising, another (now banned) mainstream student organization also carried out attacks. All major student organizations claim to support development but were in power at some point. Let them list what they did for the university. In the 90s, they asked for a museum — and sent DUCSU into one. So when they say “the spirit of the 90s is back,” does that mean DUCSU won’t return? Is that what they’re implying?

Views Bangladesh: How have you identified the problems students face?

Shamim Hossen: In national election, candidates promise to bring resources from the state. But DUCSU has its own budget. You can’t solve problems with that alone. DUCSU was created for accountability and transparency. Look at the price of food at Dhaka University vs BUET — same price, but people go to BUET to eat even after spending 80 taka on a rickshaw. Why? Because BUET’s food is better. That’s an accountability issue. DU has one of the highest budgets, yet no real development. Why? Lack of accountability. Teachers and staff are unaccountable. Students are the only ones being forced to give attendance. Earlier, teachers' lectures were so good that even students from other departments attended. Now students complain, “I fall asleep in class.” The solution is to bring back accountability. Development alone isn’t possible — but within the existing structure, everything is there. For example, the tutorial system, modeled after Oxford, was meant for close student-teacher engagement. House tutors were supposed to check if students were present in dorms, whether they had issues, etc. Now they just live in quarters, draw salaries, and do nothing. There are also special teachers for struggling students — but those are gone. Yet the budget is still spent. So the job of DUCSU student reps is to establish accountability, transparency, and question authority.

Views Bangladesh: If elected VP, how will you incorporate students' voices into decision-making?

Shamim Hossen: Since I’ll be a student-elected representative, and I already have strong connections with various student groups — both online and offline — I’ll always be in touch. I'm a regular presence on campus and maintain good relationships with students. If students raise an issue, I’ll bring it to the DUCSU body for discussion. It won’t be my decision alone. We’ll work as a team. If even one student raises a valid concern, it’s our duty to convey that to the university authorities and the state.

Views Bangladesh: What are your plans for ensuring women’s safety and equal rights on campus?

Shamim Hossen: One major safety issue is the public roads within the campus — under the jurisdiction of the city corporation. Outsiders constantly move through the campus. In fact, DU has more outsiders than students. Why? Because though 450 acres of land are officially in our name, we originally had 700 acres. Many government institutions — like the Atomic Energy Commission, Bangla Academy — have occupied parts of our land. In 1992, Khaleda Zia promised to remove the Atomic Energy Center — so it’s possible to restrict access. If I’m elected VP, my main goal for the year will be to reclaim DU’s land. Because right now, DU is like a refugee institution. Dhaka University was Asia’s first fully residential university. Teachers used to play sports with students. It was a wholesome environment — now destroyed. If we get our land back, we can build a campus like Jahangirnagar’s — with proper boundaries and safe housing for female students. That will be a top priority.

Views Bangladesh: What changes do you want to make to turn DUCSU into an effective democratic institution?

Shamim Hossen: DUCSU must be included in the academic calendar. This means that the Senate meeting — held every year — must be postponed if DUCSU elections are not held. Because DUCSU has seats in the Senate. It can’t be that teachers are represented but students are not. We’ll demand that no Senate session can be held until DUCSU elections are completed and student representatives are selected.

Views Bangladesh: Do you think DUCSU elections will be fair and impartial?

Shamim Hossen: We hoped that beauty and democracy had returned after the July uprising, where various student forces worked together. We were told there would be a level playing field both online and offline. But now, propaganda is being spread through various fake Facebook pages against certain candidates. The university warned that candidates running such campaigns would be disqualified. Still, many fake accounts are spreading misinformation. In other universities, authorities trace the IP addresses and take action. We expected that from DU as well. But the administration just sits back and waits for complaints. If they don’t act responsibly, we don’t know if we’re truly functioning as an election body. So far, the university has failed to ensure a level playing field online. Most student organizations are tied to certain panels. Independent candidates are being harassed with fake accounts and propaganda.

Transcribed by: Shahadat Hossain Tawhid