What happened to the ban on partisan politics on campus?

During the July Uprising, when the nation witnessed firsthand the violence and depravity of the Bangladesh Chhatra League – the student wing of the Bangladesh Awami League – there was widespread agreement that student politics as we know it could no longer be allowed to continue. After the first phase of mass killings in July, the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) platform even presented a nine-point demand that included a ban on student councils affiliated with political parties and the introduction of student parliaments on campuses.

After Hasina’s fall, a survey conducted by the Dhaka University Research Society found that 84% of students were in favor of banning party politics on campus.

However, SAD leaders seem to have changed their mind in the last few weeks, judging by their urgent appeal to student organizations such as BNP-backed Bangladesh Chhatra Dal and Jamaat-e-Islami-backed Islami Chhatra Shibir to unite against the ‘common cause”.

Meanwhile, we witnessed Shibir grabbing headlines by announcing committees to represent them on campuses across the country. Of course, the SAD itself also emerged as a formal body with the creation of a convening committee.

Over the past few days, both Students Against Discrimination (SAD) and the Jatiya Nagorik Committee – an affiliate platform seen as a precursor to the formation of a political party in the future – have been meeting with various political parties to reach a consensus on the removal of the president.

After Shibir announced the formation of the committee, the SAD unit of Jahangirnagar University issued a statement expressing concern over Shibir’s statement; they believe this should be done through discussion with other interested parties. Nevertheless, while explaining that they disapproved of the “secret nature” of the committee’s formation, they actually stated that they had essentially no problem with a student organization affiliated with a political party on campus.

What kind of policies does SAD want on campuses now?

“When we say lejurbrittik (restricting) student politics, we mean student organizations/parties controlled by national political parties. In such conditions, we do not see student organizations taking independent decisions or pursuing politics free from the influence of parent parties,” said Mehrab Hossain Sifat, SAD coordinator at Jahangirnagar University.

In the UK, for example, Mehrab said, student organizations that lean Labor or Conservative are not necessarily controlled by them.

“We want a policy in which national parties have no control over student bodies. If there is this structure in the batches, that’s fine. But if not, they have to reform and then come to campus. If not, we won’t do it.” I don’t welcome them,” he added.

Dr Shamsul Alam, professor of government and politics at Jahangirnagar University, said he attended a meeting with several student political bodies on campus on Tuesday where leaders of Chatra Dal, SAD and other Left groups were present.

“From yesterday’s meetings, I concluded that even SAD leaders do not want a ban on the activities of ordinary parties and their policies. I got the impression that they are more concerned about the Chhatra League not coming back again,” Professor Shamsul told TBS.

The professor said that during this meeting, Chatra Dal leaders pledged to work independently, as when they supported “the ban on Shibiru from leaving campuses, beyond their central command.” (On August 15, 1989, after the alleged killing of a Chatra Dal activist by Shibir activists, student organizations united to push Shibir out of the Jahangirnagar campus.)

Alam emphasized that most of the problems related to student politics will disappear if ordinary students, and not students who passed out a few batches ago, represent student councils.

“If student organizations work independently on student issues rather than serving parent parties, this is a good and effective policy,” Dr. Shamsul said. “Students no longer want the politics of conflict and bloodshed.”

From our conversations, we got the impression that the presence of Shibir, Chatra Dal, Chatra Union or any other event on campus is no longer a problem. Instead, the current concern is about the “decoupling” of student organizations from the mainstream parties.

“Separating student politics from national political parties is imperative. This is important for a safe campus, a stable future for the country, establishing the structure of the civil service and building an adequate workforce in each sector,” said Professor Dr. Hasanuzzaman Choudhury, former chairman of political science at the University of Dhaka.

What does it mean? Can student organizations like Chatra Dal, Chhatra Union or Shibir be on campus? We asked him.

“Yes, they can,” Hasanuzzaman said. “If they want, they can vote for Khaleda Zia or Hasina’s parties. However, they cannot publicly disclose their affiliations with political parties on campus. You can have your biases about who you want to vote for in national politics, but on campus you can’t base your politics on that.”

This means in practice that Shibir, Chatra Dal and others can remain on campuses but cannot represent Jamaat, BNP or other relevant national political parties on campus. Although student organizations affiliated with political parties were officially banned in 2008, preventing registered political parties from establishing student wings. However, this ban remained largely unenforced.

But does this system place too much faith in the good will of political parties and their student organizations? Perhaps only the future will tell.

For now, Professor Shamsul Alam sees the future in student parliaments.

“We will organize JUCSU (Jahangirnagar University Central Union) soon. Thanks to student parliaments, student politics will become civilized. Because those who want to vote will not be addicts or petty criminals. They will try to be good and attend their classes and exams. This will create leadership, which must come from ordinary students,” the professor said