Terminated Chhatra League members question new recruits, claim they are controversial

A group of Bangladesh Chhatra League activists have raised deep concerns about 68 newly recruited members. They expressed their concern to the central body while discussing the alleged controversial roles of the new committee.

21 leaders, who were terminated from their positions in December 2019, questioned the suspicious activities of the Al-Nahean Khan Joy and Lekhak Bhattacharjee-led committee as they were terminated due to unknown charges.

These claims were made at a press conference by the terminated group on Wednesday, at Dhaka University Journalists’ Association (DUJA). The ex-leaders sat under a banner of the  Bangladesh Chhatra League that read: “Protesting ongoing dirty politics inside the Chhatra League, in the name of purification."

Mahmud Abdullah Bin Munshi, one of the terminated activists and former deputy office secretary of the organization, said: “We have been removed from our positions as various allegations were raised against these 21 leaders. The central body ruled that the allegations were proven and true on December 17, 2019, without providing justified proof and reasoning.”

“The recruitment of at least 23 among the newly appointed 68 has created a disgusting and scandalous chapter in the history of the Chhatra League. Joy and Lekhak appointed their own men,” he added.

In response to this, the Chhatra League top brass claimed that 68 positions had been vacant since they vacated 21 office bearer positions based on proven allegations. 11 voluntarily resigned, and 1 was expelled as they had forged documents from the Prime Minister’s Office. Others started new jobs or got married.

Meanwhile on Sunday, the ruling Awami League’s student wing announced the 68 names of the new office bearers and members, including 25 vice-presidents, a joint secretary, an office secretary, 6 different secretaries, 24 deputy secretaries, 9 assistant secretaries and 2 members.

Former office secretary Md Ahsan Habib raised allegations against the newly appointed members, claiming that they were involved in controversial activities, including drug dealing and abuse, as well as performing jobs that were not allowed according to the constitution of the organization. 

Earlier on July 31 2018, Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury Shovon and Golam Rabbani were president and general secretary of the Chhatra League, following the organization’s 29th council held earlier in May that year.

On September 14, 2019, both were removed from their positions for their involvement in the Jahangirnagar University scam, which related to demanding extortion money from a construction budget following a meeting held by the Awami League Central Working Committee. It is the highest policy making body of the ruling party. The meeting took place at Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s official residence Ganabhaban.

The meeting also named Joy and Lekhak as the new acting president and acting general secretary of the organization. They were formally declared to be the new leadership on January 4, 2020 by the prime minister during the 72nd founding anniversary program of the Chhatra League.