JU unit Chhatra Dal gets convening committee; leaders mostly non-students

The Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) yesterday announced its Jahangirnagar University (JU) unit's convening committee. 

On Monday, the central JCD president Md Rakibul Islam Rakib and secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir signed the committee, selecting Jahir Uddin Babor as the convener and Wasim Ahmed Anik as the member secretary. 

The 177-member convening committee consists of 56 joint conveners and 119 members.

JU unit's JCD  convener Babor is a Chemistry department student of 39th batch (session 2009-2010), while member secretary Wasim Ahmed Anik is a Philosophy department student of 40th batch (2010-2011). 

The joint conveners are students of the university's 45th batch (2015-2016 session) and above.

Students of the 46th batch and subsequent batches have been given member positions. 

Before the committee's announcement, students who had aspired for the president's position have also been selected as members.

Mahbub Rahman Murad, a student of the 46th batch in the Philosophy department and a presidential candidate, has been included in the 119-member list. Zakirul Islam, also from the same batch and a presidential aspirant, has been included in the list as well.

The committee's composition has led to dissatisfaction among running students, as those selected are much older than the first-year students of the 2023-2024 academic session.

A discontented JCD leader, requesting anonymity, said this move disregards the reforms from the July uprising. 

"Selecting convener and member secretary from the 39th and 40th batches would create a large generational gap when the 54th batch [freshers] arrives in 1-2 months."

A Chhatra Dal leader from the running batch, who is also a position aspirant, said, "In 2008, the committee led by convener Samsuzzoha Parvez and senior joint convener Ziaur Rahman was from the 31st batch. In 2011, president Zakirul Islam and general secretary Abu Sayeed Bhuiyan were from the 33rd batch, and in 2016, president Sohel Rana was from the 37th batch, and general secretary Abdur Rahim Saikat was from the 38th batch." 

"Therefore, the committee in 2024 should have been formed from the 45th-46th batch. Why, then, has the committee been formed from the 39th/40th batches? This committee goes against the reform spirit of 24 and will harm Chhatra Dal organisationally," he added.

Speaking to The Business Standard, newly selected convener Jahir Uddin Babor said the committee is temporary and aims to reorganise JCD at JU.

He added that they would soon form hall, faculty, and department committees and transfer responsibilities to regular students through conferences.