Shibir cadres operated inside BCL to gain influence: Student leader Abdul Qader names a few

Abdul Qader, convener of the Gonotantrik Chhatra Sangsad at Dhaka University and former coordinator of Students Against Discrimination, has alleged that several former members of Islami Chhatra Shibir infiltrated Chhatra League and actively took part in violent activities under the ruling Awami League's student wing.

In a Facebook post published last night (3 August), Qader accused certain individuals with a past in Shibir politics of engaging in student repression, torture, and forced participation in political activities — all under the banner of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL). He claimed that this was a desperate attempt by those individuals to escape an "identity crisis" and prove themselves as loyal members of the ruling student organization.

"Those who used to be in Shibir, but lived in the university dormitories and later became part of Chhatra League, often engaged in extreme behaviour. They adopted the culture of the League and participated in repression campaigns just to prove themselves as legitimate members," said Qader.

Specific individuals named

In his post, Qader mentioned multiple cases and individuals. One such case was the alleged torture of a student named Shahriyad from the 2019–20 session of Bijoy Ekattor Hall, who was reportedly beaten overnight by BCL members on 22 January 2023. According to Qader, the leader of that attack was Majedur Rahman, whom he identified as a former Shibir affiliate from his own locality.

Qader also named Musaddiq Billah, who served as the office secretary of the last DU Chhatra League committee. According to Qader, Billah's family has ties with Jamaat-e-Islami and he was previously a supporter of Shibir. To secure a Chhatra League post, he had to prove his loyalty through extreme acts of devotion to the League's politics, Qader wrote.

Another individual mentioned was Afzalun Naeem from Jasimuddin Hall (2016–17 session), known for his abusive behaviour in the dormitory's notorious "guest rooms." Qader alleged that Naeem is now working as a special assistant to Shibir icon Shishir Monir.

According to Qader, several student leaders who once were known for their brutal enforcement of BCL's campus politics are now active Shibir members. Among them, Ilyas Hossain from the 2016–17 session of Mujib Hall — once a fierce BCL enforcer — has now reportedly emerged as a Shibir leader.

In a particularly violent incident from 2017 at Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall, five students were allegedly tortured overnight simply for liking Islamic pages on social media. Thirteen BCL members were accused in the incident, including Shahadat Hossain, the then sports secretary of the hall unit. Qader claimed Shahadat was widely known to be a Shibir affiliate at the time. After legal proceedings began in 2024, Shibir's then-president Shadik Kayem allegedly intervened on Shahadat's behalf, requesting others not to implicate him.

He also mentioned Hassanul Banna from Zahurul Haque Hall (2021–22 session), who he claims later revealed himself as a Shibir member and now holds a senior position in Shibir's hall committee.

Strategic infiltration?

Qader argued that such infiltration was part of a broader Shibir strategy — to gain influential posts within BCL by mimicking its culture and tactics. "They enforced guest room culture, forced students to join rallies, and followed the League's organisational style with precision — all for power," Qader stated.

Qader concluded by expressing frustration that uinternal lobbying and political favoritism prevented full accountability for the violence committed in July. He challenged Shibir to publicly release its Dhaka University and hall-level committee rosters from recent years, stating, "If Shibir didn't infiltrate, why not make the committees public? What are they afraid of — that their past actions will be exposed?"