Meghmallar Basu, a general secretary candidate from the “Protirodh Parishad” panel in the recently held Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election, has sharply criticized Indian Congress leader Shashi Tharoor for his recent remarks on the polls. He expressed his reaction in a Facebook post on Thursday night (September 11).
In his post, Meghmallar wrote that he was sure his message would not reach Tharoor, and even if it did, Tharoor would not take it seriously since his English was not as polished as Tharoor’s.
However, identifying himself as a representative of Dhaka University’s progressive students, he pointed out that despite state interference, a growing Islamo-fascist trend, and the dominance of money and muscle power, he still secured nearly 5,000 votes in the recent DUCSU polls.
Responding to Tharoor’s comments on right-wing politics in Bangladesh, Meghmallar said while the observation that people are frustrated with the corruption of major parties and are searching for alternatives is correct, Tharoor’s remarks are in fact strengthening the far-right in Bangladesh. He accused Tharoor of unintentionally serving as a public relations agent for Jamaat-e-Islami.
Calling Tharoor’s concern over Islami Chhatra Shibir’s victory “hypocrisy,” Meghmallar argued that in Kerala, Tharoor himself tried to weaken the CPI(M) by capitalizing on right-wing propaganda around the Sabarimala issue. He suggested that Tharoor should first confront Hindutva forces in Indian politics before lecturing Bangladesh.
Meghmallar further said that those who have repeatedly failed to defeat Modi and Amit Shah in three consecutive elections should not interfere in another country’s student politics. He added that India’s role in Bangladesh has become so “toxic” that Tharoor’s statement only emboldens Shibir.
Taking a sarcastic tone, Meghmallar told Tharoor, “If you have too much free time, you can do more stand-up shows. The last one was quite entertaining.”
Pledging to fight their own battles, Meghmallar wrote, “Let us oil our own machines. I hope the people of India will finally be able to defeat Hintuva fascists in the polls. We will gladly give up our lives to resist Islamofasicsts in our country. We will stand in solidarity with each other when necessary. But please stop the lectures. You are no better than us,”
Earlier, Shashi Tharoor had voiced concerns over the sweeping victory of Jamaat-backed student organizations in the DUCSU polls. In a post on X, he described the development as a “disturbing signal” for Bangladesh’s political trajectory and its ties with India.
Tharoor noted that while the incident may not have stirred much reaction in India, it posed serious long-term concerns. Analyzing Bangladesh’s political situation, he said growing disillusionment with both major parties—Awami League (whose activities are currently suspended) and BNP—was driving some voters toward Jamaat. This, he argued, was not necessarily due to religious extremism but because Jamaat, unlike the two mainstream parties, was not yet tainted by corruption and misgovernance.
Tharoor also raised the question of whether this trend would influence Bangladesh’s upcoming national elections in February 2026, and whether India would then have to deal with a Jamaat-majority government next door.
