Bangladesh: Islamist student wing sweeps Dhaka University polls, signals shift ahead of 2026 national polls

The Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS)-backed panel secured 23 out of 28 seats, defeating the student wing of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

Key winners include Shadik Kayem and SM Farhad, elected as Vice-President and General Secretary respectively, while Muhammad Mohiuddin Khan was elected Assistant General Secretary. As per DUCSU rules, the Vice-President assumes the role of President.

A total of 471 candidates contested for 28 posts, with ICS fielding a full panel.

This was the first DUCSU election under the interim government and the first without the participation of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (the student wing of the ruling Awami League), which was banned earlier.

Reacting to the ICS win, exiled Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen shared a video on Facebook, highlighting how some student wing members were seen calling for the enforcement of the hijab.

In the video caption, Taslima wrote, "In the DUCSU election, these jihadis who won are shouting 'Hijab, hijab'. Surely, the female students who do not wear hijab will be harassed by these bastards in many ways. After forcing women into hijab, they will start shouting 'Burqa, burqa'. Then women will have to go to university wearing the burqa. After that, they will, in Taliban style, start saying that women should not study at university. They will shout 'No female students, no female students.'

"Next, they will oppose women studying in schools and colleges. They will demand that women should not be seen in workplaces, shouting 'No women, no women'. Then they will demand that women should not go outside the home at all. The country is falling into the hands of rapists and misogynists,  ignorant, violent men and extremists."

Implications

Campus Politics

For the first time in decades, DUCSU will be dominated by Shibir, which had been marginalized for years.

This could change the culture of protests and policy debates at Dhaka University.

National Politics

• Jamaat-e-Islami, through its student front, may regain political influence ahead of Bangladesh’s next general elections.
• The defeat of BNP-backed candidates suggests that while they remain significant, they are struggling to fully capture student support.

Message to Mainstream Parties

• Students appear to be disillusioned with both Awami League and BNP, turning instead to Shibir as an alternative force.
• This might pressure larger parties to rethink their youth strategies.

Concerns

• Secular groups, including leftist student bodies, warned that Shibir’s control of DUCSU may lead to increased campus radicalisation.
• International observers are also watching closely, since student politics in Bangladesh often mirrors national political trends.