Bonikbarta Exclusive

Dhaka University Central Students' Union, commonly known as DUCSU, has its highest elected representatives as the Vice President (VP) and the General Secretary (GS). Former and current leaders of DUCSU have played an active role in almost all democratic movements in Bangladesh's history, including the Language Movement of 1952, the East Pakistan Education Movement of 1962, the Mass Uprising of 1969, the Liberation War of 1971, and the anti-autocratic movements of the 1990s. Many leaders also developed their leadership through these mass movements. The latest student uprising, however, has been an exception.

Political observers say that in this latest uprising, former DUCSU leaders' positions were largely aligned with their respective parties. While in the past, they often spoke in unison during political crises, this time, the trend was mixed. Many played active roles in the uprising, while others remained silent. Some openly supported their party's position, taking a stance against the movement. Some have gone into hiding, while others have been arrested.

Before independence, Rashed Khan Menon served as the VP of DUCSU from 1963 to 1964. His role in the mass uprising of 1969 was outstanding. This former leader of the Bangladesh Student Union is currently the President of the Workers' Party of Bangladesh and is also involved in the politics of the 14-party alliance with the Awami League. Towards the end of the movement, on August 4, the Awami League and the 14-party alliance proposed to sit down for discussions with the coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement, with Rashed Khan Menon expected to be one of the representatives. However, the students rejected this proposal.

Rashed Khan Menon is now in jail. On the morning of August 5, he was arrested by the police as a suspect in the murder case of garment worker Rubel in the Adabar area of the capital. He is currently in remand in this case, which was filed on August 22.

During Rashed Khan Menon's time as DUCSU VP, Matia Chowdhury was the General Secretary. This leader, who emerged from leftist politics, gained recognition as the "Agni Kanya" before and after Bangladesh's liberation struggle. She was arrested several times during the regimes of Ziaur Rahman and Hussain Muhammad Ershad. 2018, she faced significant criticism for derogatory remarks about quota movement activists. During the 2024 protests, she was not seen making any statements for or against the movement.

In the post-independence session of 1972-73, Mujahidul Islam Selim became DUCSU's first VP from the Student Union. He was active in many democratic movements during the 1980s. After his student political career, he served as the founding General Secretary and later the Bangladesh Agricultural Laborers' Association President. From the 1990s onward, he was General Secretary of the Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) for many years. He was last elected President during the CPB's tenth congress in 2012. He remains actively involved in leftist politics.

At the beginning of August, he said in a media interview that ordinary students' spontaneous participation in this uprising was greater than in 1969. He also criticized Awami League General Secretary Obaidul Quader for "instigating the student league" and condemned the actions of the Chhatra League.

During Mujahidul Islam Selim's time, the General Secretary was Mahbub Zaman, the then General Secretary of the Student Union. After completing his studies in student politics, this brave freedom fighter served as the president of the Bangladesh Jubo Union. Later, in the 1980s, he left politics to become an entrepreneur in the information technology sector. Although this former student leader has distanced himself from politics, he serves as the founding chairperson of the active organization "We Are 71," which aims to build a society based on the spirit of the Liberation War. He claims to have protested for those affected by the uprising and been vocal on social media to support rational reforms to the quota system.

He told Bonik Barta about post-uprising Bangladesh, "The students have fought against discrimination. There was even more discrimination in the Pakistani state, which is why we fought for independence. Therefore, the new Bangladesh should be reformed based on the ideals and spirit of the Liberation War." From the beginning, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, a two-time VP and current president of the Nagorik Oikya, has been vocal in support of the students' movement. This former student leader started his political career with the student wing of the Awami League and later became involved in national politics, serving as the party's organizational secretary. He played a significant role in forming the Jatiya Oikya Front before the 2018 general elections and contested the elections under the banner of the "Dhaner Shish" symbol.

He is known to criticize the AL government in contemporary national politics. Before the uprising, he supported the students' movement. In a press conference at the beginning of August, he remarked, "The death knell of the government has sounded," even though the students had not yet put forth a one-point demand for the government's resignation. During that time, he supported the movement in various meetings, rallies, and political programs.

When asked about the recent student uprising, he told Bonik Barta, "This movement was not just for the students; it was for the entire nation. Therefore, as a member of this nation, I supported the movement. However, I couldn't work on the front lines like the students. Age has caught up with me! I hope the goals for which the uprising was organized will be realized."

Akhtaruzzaman, elected as DUCSU VP in 1982 and served as General Secretary twice was active on the streets during the anti-Ershad movement in the 1980s. He was elected convener of the All-Party Student Struggle Committee, leading the one-point demand for the government's resignation. At that time, he rejected an offer to become a minister under Ershad and had to serve time in prison. He later became a member of the central executive committee and organizational secretary of the AL. In 2016, he served as the chairman of the Gazipur District Council. Although he holds no official position, he remains involved in AL politics. However, he has not taken an active role in this movement. Reports from Gazipur indicate that he has been in hiding since August 5.

Sultan Mohammad Mansur Ahmed was elected VP from the Bangladesh Chhatra League in the 1989-90 parliament. This former student leader resisted Bangabandhu's assassination and participated in the anti-autocratic movements of the 1990s. A former organizational secretary of the Awami League, he later became a prominent leader in the political alliance known as the Jatiya Oikya Front, formed ahead of the eleventh national elections. He was elected as a Member of Parliament under the "Dhaner Shish" symbol of that alliance. Although his coalition rejected the results of that controversial election, he took an oath despite going against the coalition's decision.

During the recent student uprising, he traveled to the United States. Throughout the crisis in July and August, he was not seen making any comments for or against anyone through any medium.

When asked about the role of former DUCSU leaders in the recent movement, Dr. Kazi Mahbobor Rahman, an associate professor in the Political Science Department at Dhaka University, told Bonik Barta, "There were high expectations for former student leaders. However, many of them did not take the positions that people expected. Regardless of the party they are currently associated with, there was hope that, as former DUCSU leaders, they would play a role in preserving the country's democratic system. Yet, over the last 15 years, many have been absent from the autocratic environment. They were contacted before the one-sided elections of 2014, 2018, and 2024, but despite promising to stand by, they ultimately did not. This is a bitter experience for the nation. They should have remembered their commitment and responsibility to the nation."

In the 1990-91 parliament, Amanullah Aman and Khairul Kabir Khokon were elected as the first VP and GS from the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, respectively. Aman was elected as a Member of Parliament for the first time in 1991 on a BNP nomination, and later, he was elected again in 1996 and 2001. He served as the Minister of State for Labor and Employment during various terms of the BNP. He currently holds the advisory position of the BNP Chairperson and also serves as the convenor of the North Dhaka Metropolitan BNP. Khairul Kabir Khokon, who served as GS alongside Aman, is now the Senior Joint Secretary General of the BNP. He was elected as a BNP Member of Parliament in a by-election in 2005.

During the movement, on July 16, Khairul Kabir Khokon, on behalf of the 1990 DUCSU and the All-Party Student Alliance leaders, issued a statement expressing anger over the attacks on students demanding quota reforms. Meanwhile, a case was filed against Amanullah Aman for participating in the anti-discrimination student movement.

The last DUCSU VP, Nurul Haque Nur, also played a prominent role in supporting the movement's demands. He was elected VP of the Student Rights Council in 2019 and currently serves as the Student, Youth, and Expatriate Rights Council's coordinator and president of his own political party, the Gono Odhikar Parishad. A significant portion of the coordinators of the anti-discrimination student movement consists of former and current leaders of his organization. During this movement, he was arrested in two separate cases related to incidents of violence in the capital. While in custody, he was subjected to torture during interrogation.

When asked about the situation, he told Bonik Barta, "I have not yet fully recovered from the ordeal of torture. However, I have no regrets because we have been freed. Moreover, my suffering is nothing compared to the sacrifices made by those who became martyrs."

During Nur's tenure, the GS was Golam Rabbani, the then-general secretary of the student wing of the Awami League. However, he was expelled from his position following numerous allegations of wrongdoing and corruption. One of the major accusations against him was that he demanded a commission from the funding allocated for development projects at Jahangirnagar University (JU). It is reported that he is currently working in a high position at a private company.

Regarding his role in the movement, he said to Bonik Barta on August 1, "As a former general secretary of the student wing, I stand with the Awami League. I have been with them and will continue to be in the future. We former leaders are determined to thwart the conspiracies of the Jamaat-BNP from our respective positions."

When asked about the role of DUCSU leaders in the student uprising, Dr. Tanzim Uddin Khan, a professor in the Department of International Relations at Dhaka University, told Bonik Barta, "Some former VPs and GSs have become leaders of the ruling party and have supported the government’s stance. Another group has been outside power and naturally aligned with their party's position. Towards the end, we saw that some were trying to take a stance among themselves, primarily within the context of their political parties. There has been no independent position taken by the former VPs and GSs of DUCSU. Former student leaders outside of political parties have also not been seen in active roles."

It is worth mentioning that the first DUCSU election was held three years after the establishment of Dhaka University in 1921, with Mamtaz Uddin Ahmed and Jogendranath Sengupta elected as the first VP and GS, respectively. For 46 years until 1970, DUCSU elections were held regularly, but post-independence, they became irregular. The last DUCSU election took place in 2019 after a gap of 27 years, and since then, the student parliament of Dhaka University has once again been without leadership.