The results of Tuesday’s Dhaka University Central Students’ Union elections were a bit surprising, which caught many political leaders off guard, a number of political leaders said on Wednesday.
They, however, said that the results were unlikely to influence the next national election, likely to be held in February 2026, due to distinctions between student politics and national-level politics.
In the DUCSU polls, candidates backed by Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of the Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, won 23 out of 28 posts, including the key positions of vice-president, general secretary and assistant general secretary.
The political leaders while talking to ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· on Wednesday stressed the importance of understanding student perspectives, maintaining democratic practices and ensuring universities remain centres for nurturing future leadership.
Elections to the DUCSU and university halls were held in a largely peaceful environment despite allegations of ballot tampering and violations of the code of conduct by candidates and their supporters. A total of 471 candidates vied for the 28 DUCSU posts.
Bangladesh Nationalist Party standing committee member Salahuddin Ahmed congratulated the winners of the DUSCU elections, describing the vote as part of the democratic process despite some shortcomings.
‘I extend my congratulations to those who have won the DUSCU elections. This is the essence of democracy,’ he said.
Salahuddin said that although it had been reported that a panel backed by Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir had won the DUSCU polls, the organisation had not officially fielded any panel in its name or under its banner.
The BNP leader also said that the DUSCU elections would not influence national politics.
Salahuddin said that many who had once served as vice-president or general secretary of DUSCU later became involved in national politics, with some fading from the scene while others, particularly those linked to major political parties, had gone on to enter parliament.
He said that the struggle to reform political culture must continue and a new democratic culture be upheld.
Communist Party of Bangladesh general secretary Ruhin Hossain Prince said that no one had expected that an anti-independence force would win the DUSCU elections as the Dhaka University constitution does not allow the participation of anti-liberation elements in the polls.
He emphasised the need for a thorough evaluation of the vote margins to understand what the younger generations truly think or do not think, and why such results occurred.
Ruhin underlined the importance of maintaining trust in the country’s youth and said that political parties and other stakeholders should collectively assess the situation to determine appropriate steps.
He said that the DUSCU election results were unlikely to have a significant impact on national politics, including future national elections, although such events might influence the perceptions of students to some extent.
Ruhin, however, said, ‘Some of those who do not support the 1971 Liberation War participated in the polls and were declared winners, but it is true that many of them had also played roles in the July mass uprising.’
He said that participants had raised concerns regarding ballot marking, the record turnout, and the counting process — issues rarely reported in the past DUCSU elections.
National Citizen Party senior joint convener Samantha Sharmin described the DUCSU elections as an outcome of the July mass uprising, which ousted the authoritarian Awami League regime on August 5 past year, and the democratic momentum initiated by the leadership of the Students Against Discrimination, a platform that spearheaded the uprising.
Samantha observed that the elections were held in an enthusiastic environment, with widespread participation, though she acknowledged some minor complaints.
She said that while she had expected those embodying the spirit of the uprising to succeed, the results showed that no parties, including Islami Chhatra Shibir, could win solely on their own.
Chhatra Shibir had to include individuals from outside their organisations, including women and members of different ethnic groups, indicating a move that went beyond its strict party line, she said.
Despite its historical significance, the DUCSU elections are unlikely to have a major impact on the forthcoming national election, as the political landscape in Bangladesh has changed, Samantha said.
She said that each political event was now seen separately, and that national election worked differently from university-level politics, with its own ideas and dynamics.
Jatiya Party (Kazi Zafar faction) chairman Mostafa Jamal Haider described the DUCSU election results as completely unexpected and something that no one had anticipated.
He said that while the results must be accepted, they were surprising, noting that the BNP’s student wing, Bangladesh Jatiatabadi Chatra Dal, had expected a strong performance but failed to deliver.
Haider said that the opposing side had prepared well, whereas Chhatra Dal was unable to play the necessary role.
He emphasised the significance of the DUCSU elections as an important event with the potential to influence national politics, but said that he did not believe it would have an impact on the forthcoming national election.
Haider said that most of the previous DUCSU winners had been unable to replicate similar influence at the national level.
Saiful Huq, general secretary of the Revolutionary Workers Party of Bangladesh, told ¶¶Òõ¾«Æ· that the DUCSU elections which were held after a six-year gap on Tuesday were festive, but the results of the elections were not acceptable.
The 15-year misrule of Awami League government was responsible for this as they (AL) nourished the Islamist political forces in the country and their student fronts at the educational institutions, he said.
‘Moreover, the interim government in its more than one year of rule has also nourished the Islamist forces,’ he said.
Saiful Huq said that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party could not avoid its responsibility for its student front’s failure in the DUCSU polls because the organisation became detached from students.
‘I think this results would not put any big impact in the next general polls,’ he said.
Ganosamhati Andolan chief coordinator Zonayed Saki said that the DUCSU election results, in which there was defeat of progressive political forces, would not put any impact on the next general elections.
He said that the 15-year fascist rule of Awami League and the nurturing of Islamist political forces by the regime were responsible for such unacceptable results in DUCSU polls.
