The Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election has taken a dramatic turn in Bangladesh’s political landscape after Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, emerged with a sweeping victory. The result, hailed by ICS as “historic,” has been branded by rivals as the product of money power, intimidation and foreign influence.
Intelligence sources in Dhaka alleged that Jamaat-e-Islami funnelled nearly BDT 20 crore into the campaign, funding mobilisation, transport, social media operations and direct voter inducements. Suspicions of a foreign hand deepened when Pakistan’s Jamaat was the first overseas organisation to congratulate ICS, with several agencies linking the money trail to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Opposition student panels claimed that the election climate was vitiated by fear. “Lakhs of Taka were spent in every hall” to buy loyalty, they alleged, while accounts of Shibir-backed musclemen enforcing discipline circulated widely. Though reports suggested stockpiles of weapons in university halls, the Dhaka University administration dismissed the claims as “rumours.”
The victory carries symbolic weight. Dhaka University, long regarded as the cradle of secular nationalist movements both before and after Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War, has for the first time seen a Jamaat-backed organisation capture the DUCSU leadership. Analysts argue that Shibir’s disciplined organisation and united strategy allowed it to eclipse a fractured Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), which struggled with weak candidates and internal dissent.
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Shibir’s projection as a “clean alternative” and its persecution narrative under the Awami League’s tenure struck a chord with many, broadening its base among first-time student voters. “The election was marred by rigging and administrative bias. Rival panels accused Dhaka University’s Vice-Chancellor, Niaz Mahmud Khan, allegedly a former Shibir activist, of tilting the playing field. Complaints of polling agent obstruction and vote count irregularities further fueled doubts,” an officer of Bangladesh’s intelligence wing said.
Turnout was significant, with nearly 40,000 students casting ballots. Shibir’s share of votes was reportedly twice that of JCD. Yet, the communal divide was stark. In Jagannath Hall, a minority-only residence, Shibir’s vice-presidential candidate drew just 10 votes compared with JCD’s 1,276.
Security agencies fear that the result signals more than a campus upset. With the Awami League ousted in 2024 and the BNP weakened, the win could mark the beginning of an Islamist resurgence, with Jamaat using student politics as a springboard to reclaim legitimacy at the national level.
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