Dhaka, September 10: The Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, secured a sweeping victory in the Dhaka University Central Students Union (DUCSU) elections, winning nine of the 12 key posts. This marks the first major win for an Islamist student group since Bangladesh’s independence in 1971.
The results, announced on Wednesday, have sparked controversy as the student front of the opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), led by former prime minister Khaleda Zia, rejected the outcome. BNP leaders accused the ruling authorities of “planned manipulation” and called the polls a “farce,” demanding fresh elections.
The DUCSU elections, held on Tuesday, were closely watched as a barometer of student political sentiment in Bangladesh amid rising political polarization.