Bellwether for national mood: Why Dhaka University students’ unions polls matter

A storied university

Established in 1921, the Dhaka University, Bangladesh’s top public university, has a storied past. With an illustrious alumni comprising the likes of physicist Satyendra Nath Bose, Bangladesh’s founding leader Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, and Nobel laureate and Chief Advisor to the interim government Prof Muhammad Yunus, it is the highest ranked Bangladeshi education institution globally.

Academics aside, the Dhaka University has also long been a hotbed for political activism. It played a significant role in the Bengali Language Movement, in which Bengali youth took to the streets to protest against the Pakistan government’s decision to impose Urdu.

In fact the movement began on campus. The Shaheed Minar, Bangladesh’s national monument which commemorates the martyrdom of students killed during the language protests of 1952, is a major landmark in the university area.

Bellwether for national mood

The university’s 46,000-odd student population is seen as a microcosm of the nation’s youth. The results of the latest DUCSU election are thus being seen as a reflection of how educated first-time voters — there are about 5 crore people between ages 18 and 35 in Bangladesh — might vote next year.

The Dhaka University has long been considered to be the stronghold of the Awami League’s students’ wing, the Chhatra League. But the Chhatra League was absent in the current polls, much like its parent party is expected to be absent in the national elections next year.

In this political vacuum, Chhatra Shibir-backed candidates emerged victorious with commanding leads, almost triple the votes of their nearest rivals in most cases. This is especially significant given the elections saw a phenomenal 75% turnout.

Defying popular perceptions, the Islamist party’s candidates won overwhelming support from the young women students at the university. In majority of the women’s hostels — Dhaka University calls them “halls” — the Chhatra Shibir won by a huge margin.

That said, the Jamaat has learned some crucial lessons in recent years. With the approval of the parent party, leaders of Chhatra Shibir offered prayers at the Martyred Intellectuals’ Memorial in Dhaka. This was the first time since the Liberation War of 1971 that any Jamaat-affiliated organisation had visited the memorial.

Analysts consider this as a sign of a possible shift in the party’s long-standing stance regarding the Liberation War of 1971, which it opposed at the time. Sources suggest that there could be many more similar initiatives in the future.

A few surprises

One big surprise was the abysmal performance of the Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad (Bagchas). This party, formed by young student leaders whose protests ousted the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5 last year, came fourth in most contests.

It is instructive that students of Dhaka University, considered to be a captive base by leaders who emerged during last year’s protests, have shifted to the Islamist Jamaat-backed party within a year.

But, the biggest disappointment has been the performance of the youth wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), the Chhatra Dal. This has come as a surprise to many, since the BNP — led by Khaleda Zia and her son Tarique Rahman — was hoping to replace the Awami League-backed party as the choice for university -going voters.

Not surprisingly, Rahman, with an eye towards next February, has expelled or demoted over 7,000 party members for charges of corruption, extortion, and misconduct, acknowledging the decision was difficult but essential.

“We know the youth want opportunity, not empty rhetoric; citizens want stability, not chaos; and the world wants to see Bangladesh as a democracy that is credible and respected. We are determined to meet these expectations,” Tarique said.

Despite Shibir’s landslide victory, Leftists have gained some ground in the university and one Chakma woman from Chittagong has won as well.

View from New Delhi

For India, the burgeoning support for the Jamaat among Bangladeshi youth is a matter of concern. Not only did the Islamist party historically colluded with the East Pakistan government, over the years it has been behind many of the anti-India protests, activities and attacks.

If Dhaka University polls are any indicator both Dhaka and New Delhi have a challenge staring at them.