DUCSU VP Nur doubts BCL's sincerity

Nurul Haq Nur, the surprise winner in the election to vice-president of DUCSU, has his doubts about Bangladesh Chhatra League or BCL’s sincerity in welcoming him to the campus.

“Their (BCL’s) words are sweet as honey but there's poison in their heart. It’s tough to trust them,” Nur told the media after a meeting with leftist student groups on Tuesday.

About an hour before the meeting, his defeated rival BCL President Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury Shovon went to the Teacher-Student Centre and greeted him in a bid to de-escalate tension on the Dhaka University campus following Monday’s DUCSU elections.

Nur is one of the joint convenors of the Bangladesh Council to Protect General Students’ Rights, which made headlines after organising the movement for reforms to the quota system in government jobs last year. 

The English Department student attached with Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall defeated Shovon by a margin of around 2,000 votes on Monday.

BCL activists have demanded his expulsion from the university alleging that he is involved with the Jamaat-e-Islami’s student front Islami Chhatra Shibir.

The Jamaat opposed Bangladesh’s independence from Pakistan during the 1971 war.   

Both Nur and Shibir have dismissed the claim of BCL, which won most seats in the central and hall unions of Dhaka University.  

On Tuesday, BCL activists gathered near Vice-Chancellor Md Akhtaruzzaman’s residence demanding fresh polls to the DUCSU VP’s post.  

Nur came under attack after a procession celebrating his victory in front of the TSC in the afternoon. He blamed BCL for the attack.

Later in the day, Shovon hugged him at the TSC in a gesture aimed at easing tension on the campus.

“Shovon-bhai is a senior brother to me from the same hall. We’ve contested for the same post. I’ve won and he has welcomed me. I am also thanking him sincerely,” Nur said.   

Noting that he came under attack in the afternoon, he said, “I’ve talked to Shovon Bhai about it. Now I am waiting to see what steps he takes.”  

The DUCSU VP said he had come under attack earlier “during the voting and on June 30”. 

“The rulers hug us whenever they need us, whenever it suits them. But when they consider us enemies, they beat us up,” he said.