Online Report : Law Adviser Professor Dr. Asif Nazrul has extended his congratulations to all winners and participants of Dhaka University Central Students` Union (DUCSU) elections held on Tuesday, while also calling for inclusive politics and urgent reforms at the university.
In a post on his verified Facebook account on Wednesday, Asif Nazrul wrote, "Congratulations to the leaders of Chhatra Shibir on their victory in DUCSU elections. I also congratulate the independent candidates who won and all participants who accepted the results with respect."
He noted that Chhatra Shibir’s landslide win is being interpreted from multiple perspectives, but emphasized one key takeaway, "This election marks the landslide defeat of the politics of tagging."
Referring to past instances of harassment, he said, "During Sheikh Hasina`s regime, countless Shibir activists and general students were brutally persecuted just for being tagged as Shibir. Beatings and police arrests on mere suspicion became routine."
Asif Nazrul shared his own experiences of standing against such repression, saying he had faced threats and attacks for his opposition.
He also mentioned his novel Ami Abu Bakar, published in February 2024 and reprinted 11 times during Ekushey Book Fair, which he said was inspired by this very issue. “At that time, I didn’t fully understand why it resonated so deeply. Now I do.”
He urged the newly elected Shibir leaders to work inclusively with all parties involved in July Uprising and beyond.
Drawing from personal experiences as a teacher at Dhaka University, he recalled walking past Salimullah Hall on his way to Friday prayers.
"The dormitory looked like a slum—cots and mosquito nets in the corridors, broken furniture in the verandas and a canteen that resembled a soup kitchen. The inside of the rooms hardly invited a look," he said.
He stressed the urgent need for reforms in university’s residential facilities and student services.
“So many things are missing at Dhaka University and there are so many problems. I hope that in this fascist-free Bangladesh, you will at least address some of the pressing issues faced by residential students.”
He concluded the post with a message of hope, “My prayers are with you.”
