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Student organisations at Islamic University in Kushtia have demanded the immediate cancellation of the ongoing teacher recruitment process, alleging that it is influenced by banned Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of Awami League which is currently banned from running activities.

Among the student organisations that are against the current recruitment process are Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatradal, Islami Chhatra Shibir, Bangladesh Student Union and former leaders of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement,

The controversy deepened following the written examination for the folklore studies department on Thursday, in which candidate Rakibul Islam—identified by Chhatra Dal as a prominent BCL activist and alleged financier and arms supplier of the organisation—reportedly passed.

Shahed Ahmed, convener of the IU Chhatra Dal, accused the university administration of overseeing a ‘fascist’ recruitment process that favoured BCL-affiliated individuals.

In protest, student leaders brought out a demonstration in front of the Ibn Sina Science Building on the campus on Friday.

Before the march, they met vice-chancellor Professor Nakib Muhammad Nasrullah at the social science faculty dean’s office to submit a memorandum demanding a ‘fascist-free’ and transparent recruitment process.

During the demonstration, protesters chanted slogans including: ‘No fascists on this campus!’, ‘We reject fascist recruitment boards!’, and ‘We oppose recruitment trade!’

The protest delayed the lecturer recruitment examination for the land and land management department scheduled for the day by an hour.

While several candidates expressed frustration over the disruption, protesters maintained that ensuring fairness and integrity in the recruitment process was their top priority.

Reiterating their allegations, Shahed Ahmed said, ‘Rakibul, a known Chhatra League activist and involved in funding and arming the organisation, has cleared the written exam.’

‘This reflects an attempt to re-establish BCL dominance on campus. Despite our formal complaints, the administration continues to hold exams that include other BCL-linked candidates. This is how fascist practices are being normalised,’ he alleged.

In response, vice-chancellor Nakib Muhammad Nasrullah defended the recruitment process, asserting that all appointments were made strictly on merit.

When journalists on Friday evening approached the vice-chancellor over the protest, he said, ‘Allegations about political affiliations are irrelevant to the recruitment process.’ 

‘Our aim is to restore credibility in the university’s hiring system. Even if some department heads have political background, they cannot influence recruitment outcomes,’ he said, adding that Chhatra Dal’s claim that the exams were illegal reflected their personal opinion, not the institutional reality.