Student Union: We won‍‍`t join events with Jamaat-E-Islami

A meeting took place at Chittagong University (CU) on Sunday, December 1, where leaders of various active student organizations gathered to discuss the upcoming National Student Solidarity Week.

Representatives from 10 student groups attended the meeting, but notably, neither the Chhatra Dal nor the Chhatra Union were present. 

The main purpose of the meeting was to plan the solidarity week aimed at bringing student organizations together.

The meeting was held from 3:30 PM to 6:00 PM in the conference hall of the Faculty of Social Sciences at CU.

Sudipta Chakma, president of the Chhatra Union at CU, explained why his group chose not to attend. 

He said, “We didn’t attend due to a central decision by our organization. The policy from the center is clear: we won’t participate in any event where Chhatra Shibir is involved.” 

However, Abdullah Al Noman, general secretary of Chhatra Dal, chose not to comment on the situation.

Khan Talat Mahmud Rafi, the coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, addressed the absence of some student organizations at the meeting. 

He remarked, “There are claims that we are ignoring the contributions of student groups in the July movement, but that’s not true. We’ve never denied anyone’s role. 

In fact, it’s thanks to the support of student organizations that we were able to fight against fascism. If we want to succeed in the future, we must unite against fascism. 

It’s unfortunate that many large organizations are absent today. While there may be grievances, these issues can be resolved through dialogue. If you don’t show up, then there’s no chance to resolve anything.”

Zobairul Hasan Arif, a central member of the National Citizens‍‍` Committee, spoke up about two important concerns. 

“The first is the trial of those responsible for the July genocide. We see that the trial is not proceeding as it should, and we do not support mob justice. We want the process to be fair so that no one can claim that those responsible were tried in a kangaroo court. The second concern is constitutional reform. The way our constitution is structured makes it easy for someone to turn into a dictator. We want changes so that no one can come to power in the way Hasina did.”

Muhammad Ibrahim, secretary of Chhatra Shibir at CU, shared his views on the ongoing challenges facing students. 

He said, “It’s been over 100 days since August 5, yet students are still on the streets, facing new problems every day. They are tasked with stopping counter-revolutions. Instead, they should be holding discussions, seminars, and focusing on reforms.”

Earlier in November, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement announced the National Student Solidarity Week in an effort to prevent the rehabilitation of the Awami League and address the political instability in educational institutions. 

The meeting at Chittagong University was a part of this initiative.