Political analysts and former student leaders see the landslide victory of the Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed panel in the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) elections as a wake-up call because students want to see a change in national politics, particularly after last year's July-August uprising.
They say the youth have rejected conventional politics and want a new dimension, which could be a factor in the upcoming national polls.
Regarding whether the DUCSU election results would impact national politics, BNP Standing Committee member Salahuddin Ahmed on Wednesday said many leaders who had earlier become vice presidents and general secretaries entered national politics, while some disappeared.
"Those elected without a major party could not do well in politics. Changes in society and the state happened through student movements or the student parliament," he told a party event in the capital.
Congratulating the winners in Tuesday's polls, he said, "This is the way of democracy."
Mentioning some irregularities in the elections, he said, "Since the journey took place after many years, there were some irregularities."
Analysts say the DUCSU polls have an impact but will play a small role in determining the results of the upcoming general elections expected to be held in February 2026.
Besides, it will have a similar role when it comes to creating a major shift in politics, they also say.
The left-leaning student parties, including Chhatra Union, won DUCSU elections many times after independence and even after the 90s. However, they or their main party hardly dominated or played a key role in parliament or broader politics.
"It does not necessarily mean that those winning the DUCSU polls will also win in parliament. The left-leaning student parties won several DUCSU polls. However, they could not dominate parliament," Dr Mushtaq Husain, a former DUCSU general secretary, told The Financial Express.
According to him, students tend to choose those who can challenge the establishment to secure their rights.
They somehow thought Shibir could support them in this respect and elected them, he explained.
Husain said if students would like to have a peaceful transition of power through the next elections, political parties and the government would have to listen to them.
"Students showed indifference to the parties that mostly ruled the country and engaged in corruption while in power. So they may want to give an opportunity to others," he added.
"If students are determined to push for a change in politics, it will have a long-term result," Husain, also a member of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal standing committee, said.
He does not see a possible shift towards right-wing domination in the immediate future and ahead of the national elections.
The situation is different after the July-August uprising, say analysts.
Husain said political persecution in the last 15 years caused students to decide this way to find an alternative.
He observed that the way Shibir would deal with the 1971 issues would shape their broader future in national politics.
Supreme Court lawyer Barrister Shihab Uddin Khan, also an elected member of the Jahangirnagar University Senate, told The Financial Express Shibir's victory in DUCSU polls was a result of the expectation for a "new dimension" in national politics.
"Students no longer expect conventional politics as we see a certain change in the young generation's mentality. It is also a lesson for the BNP ahead of the national elections to prepare their political strategy to attract young voters," he said.
"University students are a specific segment of the population. So, we cannot link the DUCSU election results to all other classes in society," he said.
He sees some possibilities for Jamaat-e-Islami to play a broader role if it moves in line with the call of students for building a liberal society and adopts the political culture required for the change.
According to Khan, DUCSU results could reduce Islamophobia or the Jamaat-Shibir phobia in national politics.
Both Husain and Khan say the DUCSU elections were mostly peaceful and held without major irregularities.
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