CoU groups reject BCL committee

Student organisations at Comilla University (CoU) have reacted sharply to the announcement of a new committee of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) at the university, with several groups vowing to resist any attempt to revive the organisation on campus.

They attributed the move to what they described as a lack of accountability and action against those accused of involvement in violence during the July-August uprising.

The new committee was announced in a notice signed by Chhatra League central president Saddam Hossain and general secretary Sheikh Wali Asif Inan on Tuesday.

According to the notice, Md Aminur Biswas, a student of the 2015-16 academic session, was named president, while Partha Sarkar was appointed general secretary of the two-member partial committee.

The notice also asked the two leaders to submit a proposal for a full-fledged committee to the central executive body within two months.

Chhatra League has remained largely inactive at the university since the fall of the Awami League government on August 5, 2024.

Reacting to the announcement, several active student organisations on campus described the new committee as “ridiculous” and said they would oppose any attempt by the banned organisation to resume activities at the university.

Maruf Sheikh, an organiser of the Socialist Students’ Front’s Comilla University unit, said Chhatra League had already become “hated” among students because of its politics of violence and repression.

“The new committee has been announced to keep that politics of hatred and hostility alive. We reject it with the same disdain with which we rejected the violence of July,” he said.

He also called on students to remain vocal in demanding justice against Chhatra League leaders and activists accused of wrongdoing.