Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal's (JCD) panel for Rajshahi University Central Students' Union (RUCSU) election include candidates who endured years of violent assaults by activists of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) during the Awami League's tenure.
JCD Central Organisational Secretary Amanullah Aman introduced the JCD panel before party activists and reporters at a press conference on Sunday at the base of the university's Shaheed Minar.
Sheikh Nur Uddin Abir is contesting for vice-president (VP), Nafiul Islam Jibon for general secretary (GS), and Jahin Biswas Esha for assistant general secretary (AGS).
For JCD, the announcement of polls after 35 years carries additional significance, as its candidates include leaders who, despite repeated attacks, remained active in campus politics and in broader opposition movements such as the July 2024 mass uprising.
SHEIKH NUR UDDIN ABIR: Vice-president candidate Abir currently pursuing his master's degree in Public Administration (2017-18 session). He is the vice-president of the RU unit of Chhatra Dal. Originally from Shibchar Upazila in Madaripur district, he comes from an educated family background. His father is a school headmaster and his mother a homemaker.
Abir's political career, however, has been marred by violence. He was reportedly attacked several times by Chhatra League activists on campus. On May 22, 2023, while attending a BNP rally near the Tukitaki Chattar, he was allegedly assaulted by Sakibul Hasan Baki, a Chhatra League leader, who has since been accused of multiple attacks against opposition activists. At that time, Abir was a convening committee member of RU Chhatra Dal.
NAFIUL ISLAM JIBON: General secretary candidate Jibon, is a student of Arabic from the 2017-18 session and serves as the RU unit's office secretary. He hails from Bagha upazila of Rajshahi, where his father is a businessman and his mother a homemaker.
Jibon has a long history of confrontations with the Chhatra League. On August 27, 2023, he and senior JCD leader Rashed Ali were reportedly attacked by a group from Motihar Hall and Sohrawardy Hall, along with Philosophy department student Tipu Sultan, while sitting at a tea stall near the Dr Muhammad Shahidullah Academic Building. The incident forced him temporarily off campus.
Worse followed in May 2024, when Jibon and a friend were allegedly confined for nearly three hours inside Mather Bux's Hall. According to JCD accounts, he was beaten, subjected to psychological abuse, and threatened at gunpoint by the then RU Chhatra League general secretary Asadullah-Hil Galib and his associates. Earlier still, in November 2018, he was reportedly beaten behind the central library for allegedly making derogatory remarks about the then prime minister on social media.
JAHIN BISWAS ESHA: AGS candidate Esha is from the 2020-21 session of the Music department. She is also the joint general secretary of the RU unit of JCD. Esha comes from a politically active family background. Her father, AK Biswas Babu, is a businessman and the president of Kushtia municipality BNP. Her mother, Afroza Khatun, is a homemaker. She is the eldest of three siblings and is also known on campus for her work as a presenter with Bangladesh Betar, Rajshahi.
According to JCD leaders, both Abir and Jibon actively participated in the July mass uprising, which mobilised students and opposition groups across the country. They argue that the history of violence faced by their nominees reflects a broader pattern of intimidation against opposition activists during the Awami League's tenure.
AGS candidate Esha underscored the democratic mission of her party: "JCD is a democratic organisation. We announced this panel to create an electoral atmosphere on campus and ensure a festive environment for students."
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