Student solidarity week ends: Chhatra Dal, Shibir at odds; progressive groups maintain distance

Highlights

• Progressive student orgs absent from meetings
• JCD expressed solidarity but continued separate activities
• Shibir held rallies in all divisional cities
• Chhatra Union refuses to join meetings with Shibir

National Student Solidarity Week, initiated by the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, has ended with Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student wing of BNP, and Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, at odds, while progressive student groups kept their distance from the joint activities.

From 26 November to 2 December, 19 student organisations across the country participated in the student solidarity week, aiming to resolve inter-institutional conflicts among other goals.

The Anti-Discrimination Student Movement will meet all student organisations again tomorrow to discuss the formation of a "National Student Council", according to the platform's leaders.

Umama Fatima, spokesperson for the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, told The Business Standard, "We will meet all student organisations again tomorrow [today]. For now, National Student Solidarity Week is over, and discussions will focus on new programmes. We aim to put aside organisational divisions and work together – unity is crucial at this time."

An emergency meeting of 19 student organisations was held on 25 November at the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement's office in Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue in the capital. The meeting resulted in a decision to continue National Student Solidarity Week to address inter-institutional conflicts. 

A zero-tolerance stance towards the Awami League and a commitment to running community campaigns to protect religious minority groups were also agreed upon.

Fatima added that while student solidarity week has concluded, the movement's position on the two other matters – protecting minorities and confronting conspiracies – will remain unchanged.

At Chittagong University, 10 political parties held meetings for the student solidarity week without Chhatra Dal and progressive student organisations. Chhatra Union leaders said that, according to central instructions, they would not participate in any event involving Shibir.

At Jahangirnagar University, a liaison committee of 10 organisations was formed for the week. While Chhatra Dal joined a day later, Chhatra Union, Chhatra Front, and other progressive student organisations maintained their distance.

Nasir Uddin Nasir, general secretary of central Chhatra Dal, said, "We have continued our own programme while expressing solidarity. Other organisations are carrying out their respective activities. We are considering collaborating with others on their programmes."

He added, "We maintain friendly relations with all active student organisations. The activities of other groups do not affect Chhatra Dal's work. There are no issues for general students. While we have ideological differences with other organisations, these do not hinder our cordial relations."

Islami Chhatra Shibir's publicity secretary Sadeque Abdullah told The Business Standard, "We held rallies and processions in all divisional cities for the National Student Solidarity Week. We met leaders from 34 organisations, including the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and major student groups in the country. We have worked together to promote a stable campus."

Addressing the absence of Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Union at meetings, Abdullah said, "Everyone must engage in politics based on the mandate of the general students. If we cannot maintain the united front that existed before 5 August, the spirit of the mass uprising will not endure. We invited them, but they did not attend. However, we remain in contact with their leaders."

Bin Yamin Mollah, president of Chhatra Odhikar Parishad, said, "In the last meeting, we proposed working together, but some organisations presented different views on their programmes, which is why the solidarity week was not fully successful. Everyone had their own programmes. We will have another meeting tomorrow [today], where we will present our opinion on the National Student Council. If that happens, we hope there will be no division among the student organisations."

Regarding the ongoing conflict between Chhatra Dal and Shibir, he added, "Unity was needed for the mass uprising, and it is equally necessary for state-building. If the division between these two organisations continues, general students will reject them."

Bahauuddin Shuvo, general secretary of Chhatra Union (a faction), told TBS, "We have not yet received an invitation for any meeting. Even if we do, we will not attend, as we cannot sit with communal organisations like Shibir."

He added, "With the mass uprising over, we believe the Anti-Discrimination platform is no longer needed. We will continue our activities with socialist student fronts and other progressive organisations."