Chhatra Shibir accuses left-leaning groups of attempting to disrupt '36 July' events

President of the Dhaka University unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir SM Farhad has alleged that certain "left-leaning student organisations" attempted to create a mob situation and obstruct their peaceful exhibition displaying extrajudicial killings under past regimes.

At a press conference held at the TSC Auditorium last night (5 August) at 9:30pm, Farhad read out a written statement. 

To mark the anniversary of the July Uprising, the Dhaka University unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir organised a three-day art exhibition at the TSC. The exhibition featured various illustrations related to the uprising, a symbolic Ganabhaban, and a model of the 'July Express' intercity train. 

Alongside these, a section titled 'Judicial Murder' displayed photographs of convicted war criminals, including Matiur Rahman Nizami, Delwar Hossain Sayeedi, Abdul Quader Molla, Salauddin Quader Chowdhury, Mir Quasem Ali, Mohammad Kamaruzzaman, and Ali Ahsan Mohammad Mujahid.

SM Farhad alleged that some members of left-leaning student organisations tried to disrupt their democratic and peaceful event by forming a mob and behaving in an indecent manner. This led the administration to ask them to remove certain photos from their exhibition, he added.

"Respecting the administration's request, the organisers did not object to the removal of specific parts of the exhibit," he said.

According to him, certain groups—particularly those aligned with the Shahbagh movement and claiming a so-called leftist ideology—felt uncomfortable with the content of Shibir's message.

He accused these groups of continuing to engage in conspiracies to uphold what he termed "Sheikh Hasina's fascism," even though the July-August mass uprising had already thrown such fascism into the dustbin of history. 

He added that their divisive politics now also belongs in the past.

As part of their three-day-long "36 July" campaign, Chhatra Shibir organised various events including an exhibition showcasing alleged extrajudicial killings and what they called "state-sponsored revenge in the name of justice" during 16 years of authoritarian rule. Farhad claimed that they presented facts and evidence to show how the Hasina-led government allegedly manipulated the judicial system to eliminate political opposition. He described the exhibition as part of their cultural resistance against the brutal history of fascism and injustice.

Farhad criticised what he called "the reproduction of fascist narratives and behaviour" by the accomplices of the fallen regime, arguing that such actions directly conflict with the spirit of July's uprising. He also objected to certain media outlets portraying members of these groups as "ordinary students," calling the claim completely false and misleading.

He concluded by stating that those attempting to undermine the celebration of "36 July" were doing so under false pretenses. According to Chhatra Shibir, these groups aim to rehabilitate fascism, legitimise judicial killings, and ultimately sabotage the upcoming Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) elections.