DUCSU Election Brings Back Old Politics, Betraying the Spirit of July
The July uprising promised freedom from violent party politics in universities. But Dhaka University’s student election shows a return to the same partisan control, shattering hopes for reform.
জুলাই ২০২৪ অভ্যুত্থানকালে দাবি উঠেছিল, লেজুড়বৃত্তিক ছাত্র-শিক্ষক রাজনীতি নিষিদ্ধ করতে হবে। শিক্ষার্থীদের আকাঙ্ক্ষা ছিল এমন একটি শিক্ষাঙ্গন যেখানে রাজনৈতিক পরিচয় নয়, মেধাই হবে শিক্ষার্থীর অগ্রগতির একমাত্র মানদণ্ড। কিন্তু ডাকসু নির্বাচনে সেই আকাঙ্ক্ষার প্রতিফলন তেমনটা দেখা যাচ্ছেনা। বিভিন্ন রাজনৈতিক দল তাদের ছাত্র সংগঠনগুলোকে মাঠে নামিয়েছে। ফলে পরিষ্কার যে, সংস্কারের পথে হাঁটার পরিবর্তে পুরনো ব্যবস্থা বহাল রাখারই চেষ্টা চলছে।
In July 2024, students and citizens of Bangladesh rose up, forcing out Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and opening the door to hopes of real change. Many believed Dhaka University, where the uprising began, would finally break free from the grip of violent student groups tied to national parties. They wanted a campus where education and fairness shaped student life. Yet as the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) election approaches, those dreams are fading. Old party politics have returned, and the promise of reform is slipping away.
Tragically, the upcoming Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) election shatters those hopes. Rather than a beacon of renewal, the election has become a stark symbol of regression. National political parties orchestrated the campaign from behind the scenes, fielding their student wings such as Chhatra Dal (BNP), Chhatra Shibir (Jamaat-e-Islami), and others, to contest. Even newer groups like Gonotantrik Chatra Songsad operate as de facto wings for parties like the NCP, demonstrating that old habits die hard. This entire process condemns us to the pre-July era and betrays the spirit of the uprising, ignoring the public's desperate demand to end this corrosive culture in our highest institutions. It is a painful reminder that systemic rot is not easily cleansed.
The July uprising was a direct rejection of the violent, oppressive politics practiced by student wings of major political parties, especially the Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the Bangladesh Awami League. For years, we witnessed their dangers with grim familiarity: the brutal, senseless killing of Abrar Fahad at BUET for daring to voice an opinion; the forced recruitment of first-year students into political programs; and the daily reality of torture and intimidation on campus that turned dormitories into fiefdoms. We expected July to mark the end of this era, a final threshold crossed. The collective sigh of relief was meant to be permanent.
Instead, the DUCSU election reveals a determined return to the old, failed system. The core problems remain not only unchanged but have been reinforced.
Several panels were announced for the election, representing groups like Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party-BNP), the Oikyabaddha Shikkharti Jote (Islami Chhatra Shibir, student wing of Jamat-e-Islami), the Boishamyabirodhi Chhatra Sangsad, and a number of alliances. These alliances included Oporajeyo 71–Adamya 24 (a joint panel of three left-leaning organisations), the Protirodh Porshad (a resistance council of seven left-leaning student organisations), DUCSU for Change, and Vote for Change (Chhatra Odhikar Parishad).
These organizations are not independent unions fighting for student rights. They are subsidiary affiliates of national parties. Their leadership is appointed based on fealty to party bosses, not elected on a platform of student service. Their primary loyalty is to a partisan agenda, often dictated from party headquarters, not student welfare. Decisions on strikes, protests, and alliances are made to score political points in the national arena, with the student body used as pawns.
The current landscape of student politics is a stark reminder of the pervasive fear. Rival groups clash violently over dominance, dormitory control, and election turf, often with lethal weapons. Ordinary students and faculty who voice dissent or simply refuse to participate face intimidation and physical violence. This creates a climate of suffocating silence where academic freedom and free speech are stifled. Students learn to keep their heads down, their education secondary to their safety.
The university’s core mission—education and research—is routinely hijacked. Class boycotts and blockades are enforced to serve political demands, many unrelated to campus issues. Academic activities are frequently shut down for days by political rallies and conflicts, severely disrupting the academic calendar and putting the futures of countless students at risk. This institutionalized disruption devalues degrees and sabotages the nation's intellectual capital.
The dominant student wing operates a sophisticated system of corruption. They illegally control and allocate dormitory seats, creating overcrowded "gonorooms" for their members and supporters while denying accommodation to genuine, needy students from remote areas. This patronage system rewards political loyalty over academic merit, becoming a guaranteed shortcut to future government jobs and political careers. This undermines the university's integrity and perpetuates a national culture of graft and inequality.
A university should be a vibrant marketplace of ideas where critical thinking and debate are encouraged. Instead, partisan intolerance prevails. Students self-censor, fearing to discuss sensitive political or social issues openly. Seminars or publications critical of the ruling party or its student wing are swiftly shut down by force, sterilizing the intellectual environment. The next generation of leaders is being taught compliance, not critical inquiry.
Students, activists and protesters fought against this very culture during the July uprising. To realize their aspirations, it is essential to prevent a recurrence of entrenched political practices through an electoral process in which the student wings of major political parties participate, as such involvement risks undermining genuine reform. The DUCSU results are not a victory for student representation; they are a warning that the struggle for a truly democratic and safe academic space is far from over. The betrayal is not final, but it is profound. It calls for renewed vigilance from students, teachers, and civil society to reclaim the university not for any party, but for the students themselves. The spirit of July must not be allowed to die at the gates of Dhaka University.
About the Author:
Zahed Arman is an assistant professor of political communication at Mississippi State University. His research focuses on political campaigns, voter behavior, and social media analytics. He can be reached out at za231@msstate.edu
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect The Insighta's editorial stance. However, any errors in the stated facts or figures may be corrected if supported by verifiable evidence. | A guest post by
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