By: Misbahul Islam:-
Reactions among Dhaka University (DU) students to the disclosure of the DU branch of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir (Shibir) have been varied.
The full committee of the DU Shibir is yet to be disclosed. SM Farhad, the general secretary of DU Islami Chhatra Shibir, recently made an appearance, signaling Shibir’s return to the campus after a hiatus of three and a half decades.
The president of the DU branch of Chhatra Shibir revealed himself publicly on Saturday, September 21. Md Abu Shadik Kayem, in a Facebook post, claimed to be the current president of the DU branch of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, although there has been no official confirmation from Islami Chhatra Shibir itself.
The revelation has ignited discussions on social media. Md Abu Shadik Kayem, a Surjasen Hall resident from the 2016-17 academic batch in the Department of Political Science, also served as a coordinator for the inaugural committee of the anti-discrimination student movement.
Shadik’s public emergence has surprised some, while others are apprehensive about Shibir’s overt political activities. Known for his involvement in various movements, Shadik attended the swearing-in ceremony of the interim government at Bangabhaban following the downfall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5.
On Sunday, Abdul Quader, a coordinator of Students Against Discrimination, shared an analysis on the background of the movement’s 9-point demand, highlighting SM Farhad, the secretary of Shibir’s DU branch. Farhad, a student from the 2017-18 batch at the Social Welfare and Research Institute, DU, is a resident of Kabi Jasim Uddin Hall.
A widely shared photo on social media depicts DUBSL General Secretary Tanbir Hasan Saikat alongside Central Chhatra League Technical Education Affairs Secretary Rakib Siraji. While some assert that Saikat was involved in Chhatra League politics, a Kabi Jasim Uddin Hall student remarked, “He was certainly a member of Chhatra League, but he didn’t participate very actively; perhaps he did so to maintain his hall residence.”
