Mujahidul Islam Selim, former VP of DUCSU and former president of CPB
I became the VP of DUCSU after independence. Although I was introduced to DUCSU even earlier, in the sixties. We were college students then. We wondered if we could reflect the hopes and aspirations of the student community by being representatives in the DUCSU elections. And when we became students of Dhaka University, our refuge was DUCSU, or Madhur Canteen. At that time, DUCSU developed into a representative student organization due to student leaders.
Until the mass uprising of 1969, DUCSU elections were held indirectly. The VP, GS, or secretaries were not elected directly by student votes.It was decided by rotation who would be the VP or GS from which hall. Then, who would be the VP or secretary in the halls, the best student at that time, the student who could give the best speech, the student who would be their spokesperson or leader, would be elected by the student community.
After the 1969 mass uprising, many rules and regulations for DUCSU elections were changed. Along with this, the rules for DUCSU elections were set, students could vote directly. I was an honors student at that time. In 1970, I was a GS candidate in the DUCSU elections. My opponents were ASM Abdur Rab and Abdul Quddus Makhon. I lost to Makhon by a margin of 60-70 votes in that election.
The Dhaka University Students' Union (DUCSU) was dominated by the Students' Union before and after that election. If you look at the organizational identity of DUCSU's VP and GS, you will see that most of them are leftists.
The movement, the liberation war, took a radical form through independence, and I have not seen any impact of that in any movement after independence.
The Chhatra League split into two. One was the original Chhatra League, the other was the JSD Chhatra League in 1972.
I was elected as the VP of DUCSU by receiving more votes than the combined votes of these two parties. In a newly independent country, what was the duty towards the people was the duty of DUCSU representatives.
Many people say that DUCSU is a factory for creating national leaders. This is a completely wrong idea. Those who think like this are doing it to protect the interests of a handful of classes, leaving the people behind. They want to dominate society.
I respect the great tradition of the student movement. We achieve victory but we cannot sustain it. We must remember that just as victory is achieved through student politics, so too, this victory cannot be sustained unless the limitations of student leadership are overcome.
Many people now believe that ordinary students have become corrupt. I think this observation is correct. The ordinary student community and their representatives claim to be the power; some of the upper class leaders or some leaders in the name of students have now become authoritarian. Some who claim to be the leaders of the students have strange names! These days, they are exercising power in the name of this or that force. They are getting involved in various evil deeds in the name of the student community. That is why they do not want to hold elections. They also know that the student community does not want to vote for them. If they can become student representatives through muscle power without voting, they are also getting involved in criminal activities. That's why they don't want to hold elections. They also know that the student community doesn't want to vote for them. If they can become the representatives of the students through muscle power without voting, that's why they are getting involved in criminal activities. The government, administration, and educational institutions are involved in these evil deeds, and a nexus has been formed between them. They want to impose unhealthy politics on educational institutions to prolong their political power.
The rights of students have been interfered with by keeping DUCSU elections closed for a long time. Making students bookworms is not the real purpose of education. Just as students need to acquire knowledge, they should also understand the significance of patriotism and organized strength.
Students have the right to form DUCSU or Student Union. Anarchy is created because student politics is decreasing. I have said that not only Dhaka University, but all universities should allow student union elections.
There has been a lot of uproar in the country on various issues. If DUCSU elections are being organized to cover up these, then it will not work. Not only Dhaka University, but all university and college authorities must organize student union elections. All universities must be given autonomy, only then will university authorities be able to organize student council elections in their respective institutions.
Mahmudur Rahman Manna(Chaksur GS in 1972, DUCSU VP in 1979)
There is a huge difference between the elections of our time and the elections of today. In our time, no one could have thought of running for independent posts, let alone the VP-GS posts in DUCSU elections. As far as I remember, there were no independent candidates in the three or four main panels. But this time there is. A notable incident of our time is that those who used to form student organizations would participate in the elections by abandoning their party identities. They would declare, 'We do not do any politics.'
However, now the impact of depoliticization is greater! I find it very surprising to think that after such a large, bloody mass uprising in 2024, these students would want a DUCSU election free of politics.
The campus used to be very busy before elections in our time. The campus used to be bustling with campaigning; there were lots of meetings and processions, posters were printed. This time, none of these things exist. How can we judge whether it is good or bad? What will be the result if we do it this way? In our time, elections were like elections, with the same hustle and bustle and heat as in national elections. Now, there is no heat in elections. If this silence or temporary seriousness is ultimately meant to hide one's face from politics, then it is bad. And if it is a sign of a calm, disciplined election, a sign of recognition, then it is very good.
No matter how one thinks about the DUCSU elections, the current trend of secret politics, in other words, the process of depoliticization, will not last. Such a trend will decrease after this election or any subsequent election.
I don't see any social commitment in the pledges (manifestos) that I see from student organizations in the DUCSU elections. I think DUCSU or other student organizations have a commitment to society. I am talking about the social commitment that led students to wage the language movement, the education movement in 1960-62, the six-point campaign of 1966, the mass uprising in 1969, and the raising of the flag of independence in 1970. There were even anti-dictatorship movements in the 1990s; we see that less now.
There has been talk of stopping student politics. Why should student politics be stopped in a country like ours? What the students have seen so far has made them feel disgusted and disgusted. This is very natural. But they also have to look at what this student politics has created. Many theoretical questions will arise during the peaceful development of student politics in relatively calm circumstances.
There is so much debate going on about reforms across the country now. The university students, the student councils or the research laboratories, their teachers could have participated the most in that debate. They have a wealth of education, a wealth of knowledge. But their participation is completely absent. I think this could have been the result of DUCSU and this election process. But when these things are not there, then if you stop student politics, you have no commitment to anyone. Students have no idea, no consciousness about whether there will be a bicameral parliament, what the electoral system will be for women, how far the Prime Minister will have power. Can this happen or not? Therefore, I do not think that the issue of stopping student politics should ever come up. However, we can speak out against the ugly, corrupt, and corrupt form that student politics has taken. Our job is to make student politics more sophisticated, civilized, constructive, and knowledge-based.That is where the welfare and progress of society lies.
The impact of the DUCSU elections will generally have an impact on the next national parliamentary elections as well. The entire population wants to see who the students want and what they want. In that sense, it will have an impact. When representatives are elected through voting, people are convinced that this is what they (the students) want. This encourages and moves these political parties forward. These students initiated a bloody victory march in the fight against fascism just ayear ago. DUCSU should work towards the desire that emerged through this struggle to build democracy, to build a sophisticated society and politics, and to build a reformed politics.
Aman Ullah Aman, former VP, DUCSU
DUCSU is called the country's second parliament. Those elected here play a role not only in the development of the university, but also in the development of the entire country.Dhaka University is the most suitable place to develop the country's future leaders. It can be seen from the history of the country that many great political leaders have come from DUCSU. They have played an important role in building t he country.
The elected representatives of DUCSU played an important role in the mass movement of 1990. The countrymen know how the elected representatives of DUCSU built a movement against the dictator. At that time, DUCSU led the entire nation. DUCSU has maintained its own image for ages. I hope that this time too, the students of Dhaka University will choose worthy leaders. Those who are elected will participate in building the country.People all over the country are looking forward to the DUCSU elections.
This year's DUCSU elections are being held in a different context. This election is after the fall of fascism. This election is very important. I hope that in this DUCSU election, ordinary students will elect all the members of Chhatra Dal.
