Shibir now out into the open at DU

After around three and a half decades, Islami Chhatra Shibir has come out on Dhaka University campus by revealing the identities of its two top leaders, touching off public debate online and offline.

Soon after a meeting between student organisations and the university administration on Saturday, Shadik Kayem said he is the president of Shibir's DU unit. He is a political science student of  2016-17 academic session.

A day after the disclosure of the DU president's identity, SM Farhad's came to light on Sunday night. A student of the 2017-18 academic session at the Institute of Social Welfare and Research, he is the general secretary of  DU unit Shibir.

He was a resident student of Kabi Jasimuddin Hall.

Both Shadik and Farhad got enrolled at DU after completing Alim from Baitush Sharaf Adarsh ​​Kamil Madrasa in Chattogram.

Shadik Kayem, who was actively involved in the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said they divulged their identities in line with a decision of the organisation.

"In the last 15 and a half years, the fascist government forced us to stay underground. We were portrayed as monsters. We want to get rid of it," Shadik told The Daily Star.

"Everyone will do their politics, everyone will enjoy the freedom of expression, nothing will be imposed on anyone – that is what we want," he said.

He also said the full committee of the university unit will be unveiled soon.

After the fall of Ershad in 1990, Paribesh Parishad, a platform comprised of the DU authorities and student representations, slapped a ban on the activities of Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, a party that actively opposed  Bangladesh's independence struggle and sided with the Pakistan army during the Liberation War.

Members of Shibir's predecessor -- Islami Chattra Shangha -- formed Al-Badr and were involved in the 1971 killings of Bangalee intellectuals towards the end of the war. Some members of Al-Badr had been convicted and executed by the  International Crimes Tribunal during the first and second terms of the Awami League-led government.

Over the last two days, following the revelation of Shadik and Farhad's identities, different student organisations came up with mixed reactions.

Talking to The Daily Star, Maeen Ahmed, general secretary of DU Chhatra Union,  said, "Paribesh Parishad is a social or political pact, in which the university administration and student organisations have a stake. I think that honouring the  pact, the previous decision regarding Shibir should have been reviewed or reformed. The university administration should have tried to learn Shibir's current stance on the grounds on which it was banned."

At Saturday's meeting, which was attended by the two Shibir leaders, some left-leaning student organisations raised questions before the vice-chancellor.

DU Chhatra Union General Secretary Maeen said, "' I asked the VC, 'How did you find him [DU unit president of Chhatra Shibir]?' 'Shouldn't you have taken the opinions of other student organisations?'  But the administration has acted irresponsibly."

He, however, said he appreciates that an organisation has chosen to come out into the open instead of keeping itself under wraps.

"Because the good and bad deeds of covert politics cannot be assessed and those behind them cannot be held accountable," added Maeen.

Nahiduzzaman Shipon, general secretary of DU unit Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, said it should be a collective decision of all organisations whether Shibir can be allowed on campus or not.

"All stakeholders including social, political and cultural organisations, should be involved in taking decisions in this regard," Shipon told The Daily Star.

Asked, Sarjis Alam, a key coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said they would hold a discussion today (Monday) and make comments on the issue after that.

Meanwhile, in a press statement yesterday, Farhad denied any involvement with BCL.

"I have not been involved with any activities of the Social Welfare and Research Institute unit of Chhatra League. I have never submitted any résumé to anyone for any position in BCL," he said.

Farhad also said they consider the controversy over his alleged involvement with BCL a "conspiracy to destroy the spirit of the anti-fascist movement".

He said he was the president of Kabi Jasimuddin Hall debating club and the general secretary of Social Welfare and Research Institute debating club.

Meanwhile, a photo of Tanbir Hasan Saikat, general secretary of BCL DU unit, exchanging floral greetings with him went viral on Facebook on Sunday night.

In another picture, Farhad was seen sitting next to Tanbir and BCL central unit's technical education affairs secretary Rakib Sirazy at an iftar mahfil of the debating club.

Regarding the photos, Farhad said, "When I was the president of hall debating club and general secretary of Social Welfare and Research Institute debating club, my photos with political persons attending various debate events were posted on social media ... all of those were debating club-related events, not political events."