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Published : 08 Dec 2024, 05:02 AM
Even after successfully toppling the Awami League government, the Anti-discrimination Student Movement and other student groups vowed to stick together for national unity.
But just four months in, they are not showing up to each other's meetings anymore. The real question now: Is their unity still holding, or is it slowly crumbling?
After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina regime, active student groups in the movement began pushing their own agendas.
The Anti-discrimination Student Movement expanded its reach across the country, holding meetings, protests, and events along the way.
In the months since the mass uprising, while some joint meetings were held, in recent days divisions have become apparent, as student organisations have opted not to participate in each other’s events.
On Dec 3, as student representatives, only some coordinators of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement met Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus for a discussion.
The next day, several mainstream student groups, including the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, skipped a meeting called by the movement.
However, the Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami did attend.
On Dec 5, leaders and activists from 28 student organisations, led by the Chhatra Dal, held a discussion in Dhaka.
Neither the Anti-discrimination Student Movement nor Islami Chhatra Shibir was invited to the meeting.
This rift has not gone unnoticed. On university campuses and in student political circles, the chatter is growing louder. Is the unity that brought down a government already cracking?
Anti-discrimination Student Movement spokesperson Umama Fatema told bdnews24.com that misunderstandings had arisen with other student organisations over the meeting with the chief advisor.
She admitted that the movement is currently navigating through a challenging phase.
"However, we hope to resolve this crisis quickly and organise a 'National Student Council' with all student organisations," Umama said.
She expressed optimism that unity would be achieved in the national interest, saying: “There was some miscommunication from the government regarding the meeting between the chief advisor and student representatives. The authorities need to ensure this doesn’t happen again in the future.”
When asked about the growing distance between the groups, Chhatra Dal General Secretary Nasir Uddin Nasir told bdnews24.com that the chief advisor had only held discussions with a few coordinators in the name of engaging with student leaders.
“This has turned the promise of an inclusive national unity, which was made after the July- August mass uprising, into a narrow, one-sided approach,” he said.
The general secretary added that the current situation has forced them to reconsider the state of national unity among student groups.
The Anti-discrimination Student Movement issued a press release regarding the meeting with the chief advisor, saying: "The invitation from the Chief Advisor’s office was not extended as a political student organisation or an uprising group, but rather to the participating students to discuss the current situation in the country and the role of the government in maintaining the spirit of the mass uprising."
Bangladesh Student Federation General Secretary Saikat Arif criticised the lack of “responsible behaviour” needed for national unity.
“All anti-fascist student organisations gave their utmost effort during the movement. Since the fall of fascist Hasina, we have urged the creation of an organisational framework to preserve the unity of all factions involved in the uprising. However, they [the Anti-discrimination Student Movement] have failed to take adequate steps to uphold this unity,” he told bdnews24.com
“Still, in the national interest and to fulfil the broader aspirations of the people, we have responded to their call.”
The student leader said, “Last week, we called for the formation of a National Student Council with all student organisations. At that time, most of the student organisations present agreed with the demand. However, it seems that in prioritising their own interests, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement has pushed other student organisations away."
He continued, “They didn’t even feel the need to inform the student organisations about the meeting with the Chief Advisor on the 3rd. So, we felt that they hadn't shown the maturity required to maintain unity among all. That's why we didn't attend the meeting on the 4th."
However, Saikat said they are actively working to strengthen solidarity among students and engage in dialogue with all forces involved in the movement to counter any efforts to undermine the interim government.
"The Democratic Students’ Alliance, the front of leftist student organisations, did not attend the meeting of the Anti-discrimination Student Movement.
The alliance includes the Bangladesh Students’ Union, Socialist Students' Front [BaSad], Socialist Students' Front [Marxist], Biplobi Chhatra Moitri, or Revolutionary Student Unity, Democratic Students' Council, Bangladesh Student Federation, Revolutionary Student-Youth Movement, and the Greater Chittagong Hill Tracts Tribal Students' Council."
The alliance's Central Coordinator Salman Siddiqui told bdnews24 that the Anti-discrimination Student Movement is not a platform for any single party, but a collective of all student organisations opposed to the Awami League government.
"After 5th August, it was agreed that all decisions would be made based on the participation of all organisations. However, it has become clear that they are making undemocratic decisions, excluding all other student groups. They are responsible for breaking the national unity of student organisations. As a result of their undemocratic actions, almost all mainstream student organisations have boycotted [Thursday’s] meeting."
Despite these accusations, Salman said the alliance is willing to work with the movement in the future, if necessary, in the interest of national unity.
Nuziya Hasin Rasha, president of the Dhaka University branch of the Biplobi Chhatra Moitri, described the Anti-discrimination Student Movement as “an affiliated organisation of the government” and said: “We no longer wish to attend their meetings or engage with them.”
She added, "Since the 5th of August, we have not responded to anything from the Anti-discrimination Student Movement. We even called for the dissolution of this movement from our organisation."
Even though others did not attend, the Islami Chhatra Shibir participated in the movement's meeting.
However, they were absent from the meetings of the Chhatra Dal and other organisations.
When asked about this, Sadiq Abdullah, the publicity secretary of Bangladesh Islami Chhatrashibir, told bdnews24.com: "Every organisation has the right to hold meetings in the interest of its own members. Who gets invited is entirely their own matter."
"However, we expect that everyone will uphold the spirit of the July Revolution. If anyone is causing division, it will create a negative perception among the students and the public," he added.
Sadiq believes there might be misunderstandings between the student organisations, but there is always room to resolve these issues through dialogue.
In response to the issue of unity among student organisations, the organisation’s General Secretary Md Jahidul Islam, told bdnews24.com: "Chhatra Shibir has always been open to unity, as seen throughout its history. If anyone adopts a narrow view on the matter, it’s not Chhatra Shibir’s fault."
He also remarked that some student organisations are unable to break free from "sycophantic circles," saying: "One thing is that sometimes we fail to rise above personal and party interests. In some areas of our student politics, we have reached a point where we can only think within the realm of sycophancy. If this mindset persists, the idea of unity remains a theory, impossible to put into practice,"
In November, a new student organisation, Swadhin Bangladesh Chhatra Sangsad, or Independent Bangladesh Student Council, emerged.
The organisation believes that if any group claims “exclusive representation”, it would undermine the very spirit of the mass uprising.
The organisation’s spokesperson Tashahud Ahmed Rafim told bdnews24.com, "After the mass uprising, it is essential that all student organisations have representation in the nation's rebuilding process. We successfully fought together against a fascist regime, but the fascist system has not yet been completely eradicated from the country."
In July, students launched a movement demanding the reform of quotas in government jobs.
To lead the movement, a platform named the "Anti-discrimination Student Movement" was formed.
The movement eventually morphed into a widespread anti-government protest, uniting students and the public, and played a key role in bringing an end to the Awami League's 15-year rule.
Amid discussions on whether the Anti-discrimination Student Movement would continue, the platform has expanded its activities nationwide and formed a coordination committee.
The organisation has been organising meetings and rallies in different locations, reaffirming its commitment to working together for national unity.
When asked about the absence of several organisations, including Chhatra Dal, at the meeting called by the movement, its spokesperson Umama told bdnews24.com: "From our side, we extended an invitation. A statement has already been issued by our platform addressing the concerns that led to their decision not to attend."
"The media's inappropriate conduct and headlines regarding the meeting between the chief advisor and student leaders involved in the uprising have caused confusion among the student and public supporters of the movement," the statement said.
The Anti-discrimination Student Movement condemned certain media outlets for misrepresenting the meeting as a "gathering to form consensus among national student organisations”.
In the press release, the movement expressed hope that the chief advisor will engage in dialogue with all stakeholders involved in the "anti-fascist movement and mass uprising" and that national consensus will be formed through these consultations with everyone.
[Writing in English by Sheikh Fariha Bristy]
