Poor planning, long absence, bad image seal Chhatra Dal's fate in Ducsu polls
At the time, this TBS reporter spoke with at least four hall-level Chhatra Dal leaders who later contested VP or GS positions in various halls.
In the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) election on 9 September, Chhatra Dal faced a major debacle, failing to secure any central post.
Observers attribute the setback to poor preparation, long absences from halls and campus, and a failure to improve its negative image.
Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed panel United Students' Alliance on the other hand won 25 of 28 posts, including VP, GS, and assistant GS. Independents won two posts, and one went to a leftist panel candidate.
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Chhatra Dal also failed to secure top hall posts, except in Jagannath Hall, though some candidates won a few secretary positions in hall unions, such as in Muktijoddha Ziaur Rahman Hall, leaving their overall presence limited.
Lack of preparation
Even during the nomination period, Chhatra Dal leaders and activists were unsure about participating, leading to major preparation gaps.
At the time, this TBS reporter spoke with at least four hall-level Chhatra Dal leaders who later contested VP or GS positions in various halls.
A GS candidate, speaking anonymously, told The Business Standard, "Even two days before submitting our nominations, we didn't know if we would be contesting. We were kept in uncertainty. If we had known we were running for VP or GS from our session, we could have prepared properly. Even if the organisation couldn't tell us directly, they could have at least given a hint."
Absence from halls, campus
Before the July uprising, Chhatra League, the student front of then ruling Awami League, controlled Dhaka University's campus and halls, and students with different views faced severe harassment.
After 2009, many leaders of Chhatra Dal, the student wing of League's archrival BNP, were driven away, while arrests, crackdowns, and organisational issues kept most members distant from the general students.
After the fall of Hasina regime on 5 August 2024 through a mass uprising, Chhatra Dal activists who still were officially students began returning to the halls. Yet many could not immediately secure hall seats immediately due to their long absence and lack of connection, with some only managing to move in much later.
Even after moving in, their political identity limited participation in hall activities, as groups like Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad and Chhatra Shibir pressured to keep politics out of the halls.
Take Sir AF Rahman Hall for example. In the Ducsu polls, Rafiqul Islam was elected VP and Habibullah Habib GS of the hall union as Shibir backed candidates. Both of them were made hall representatives by the resident students after 5 August and it enabled them to take part in various activities and stay connected to students.
In the same hall, Chhatra Dal GS candidate Kawser Hamid, the organisation's university unit assistant law secretary, had moved into the hall only 21 days before the Ducsu election. He received 270 votes and finished second.
On social media, Kawser wrote that when he moved in, no one knew him. Many saw his GS candidacy as risky, and despite campaigning tirelessly, he failed to win.
A similar situation occurred in most halls, where most students elected to hall unions were already residents before 5 August or had served as hall representatives.
Even before 5 August, Shibir-affiliated students held leadership roles in university's social, cultural, and hall organisations as "general students". This gave them indirect influence in the halls after 5 August, while Chhatra Dal struggled to establish a presence.
Chhatra Dal fails to shake off negative perceptions
Across the country, rival groups used BNP and Chhatra Dal leaders' involvement in alleged extortion, crime, and other negative incidents as "evidence" against them in online and offline campaigns.
Although Dhaka University's Chhatra Dal leaders avoided negative headlines after 5 August, their past activities were still used against them.
Since 5 August, opponents also promoted the perception that Chhatra Dal, like Chhatra League, would continue the "gonoroom" and "guest room" culture, a view reinforced during the Ducsu elections.
Chhatra Dal campaigned on the promise that these practices would not return, while Shibir argued that a Chhatra Dal victory would restore the old environment.
This TBS reporter spoke with at least ten male and female students yesterday (14 September), all of whom voiced concerns about Chhatra Dal.
Observers noted the organisation failed to change this perception, which was especially strong among female students and contributed to its weak performance in women's halls.
Political analyst and Dhaka University Anthropology professor Zobaida Nasrin told TBS that "many believe BNP could win the next national election, and this perception influenced the Ducsu results."
She noted that Chhatra Shibir follows a "covert" political strategy, which makes it difficult to identify its supporters and predict their votes, adding that "even the BNP miscalculated in this complex political environment."
She further said that both parties "have been associated with extortion and authoritarian politics," and that reports of BNP's involvement in criminal activities "continue to emerge in many areas." These factors also influenced the Ducsu election outcome.
Meanwhile, multiple attempts to contact Central Chhatra Dal President Rakibul Islam Rakib, General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir, and Dhaka University Chhatra Dal Unit General Secretary Nahiduzzaman Shipon by phone were unsuccessful.
