Forever young!

The names clearly describe their type as they have one thing in common -- these are all student organisations. But in reality, hardly any regular students are holding the top positions of the student bodies affiliated with various political parties.

None of the two biggest student organisations, Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), has regular students as top leaders -- president and general secretary -- in their central committees.

The same is true for Chhatra Union, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front (Marxist), and Chhatra League backed by a faction of Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal.

When it comes to their Dhaka University units, BCL, JCD and Chhatra Front (Marxist) are led by those whose studentship had expired. Two other student bodies -- Chhatra Union and Bangladesh Chhatra Maitree -- have no current committees at the university.

Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, however, has regular students holding the two top posts of its DU unit. Chhatra Maitree has an ex-student as the central committee president and a regular student as general secretary.

Educationists think this trend reflects the absence of continuous process for creating new leadership. This goes against the interest of general students, they said.

"If the leader is not a regular student, he or she cannot understand the psychology and needs of students," Jahangirnagar University Prof Anu Muhammad told this newspaper.

Prof Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan, a teacher of DU international relations department, blamed it on the parent organisations. "They just want someone who can fight the opponents and hurl abuse."

Criticising the process of choosing student leaderships by parent organisations, Prof Anu Muhammad also said it became the tradition that no student bodies would elect their own leaders.

The issue came to the fore after BCL last month barred JCD activists from entering the DU campus on the ground that all of them are not students.

JCD leaders, however, said it is the BCL top leaders who are not regular students.

"They [BCL] are not letting us enter the campus saying we are not regular students. But they themselves are not regular students. So, how could they do politics on the campus?" questioned JCD General Secretary Saif Mahmud.

Saif enrolled at DU in 2005-06 session, and after completing regular graduation and post-graduation courses, he is now an evening course student under the Institute of Social Welfare and Research.

JCD President Kazi Rawnakul Islam Srabon, a DU student of 2003-04 session, is enrolled in an evening course at the Department of Information Science and Library Management.

According to the university rules, only regular students are allowed to stay in the halls.

An order of the Dhaka University Syndicate states that none can remain a regular student of DU for more than eight years. Within these eight years, he or she has to complete graduation in six years and post-graduation in two years.

Evening courses, designed to spread higher education among job holders, take one to two years.

JCD's DU unit Convernor Akter Hossain was admitted to the university in 2007-08 session and Member Secretary Aman Ullah Aman in 2009-10.

BCL President Al Nahian Khan Joy and General Secretary Lekhak Bhattacharya enrolled in 2008-09.

Joy is now admitted to an evening course of the criminology department. Lekhak also has got admission to an evening course of Institute of Social Welfare and Research.

BCL DU unit President Sanjit Chandra Das was admitted to the DU in 2009-10 and its General Secretary Saddam Hussain in 2011-12.

Saddam was the most junior among the top four BCL leaders who had studentship till last year. It took him eight years to complete his graduation. He was given the extra years following a special permission of the dean. 

Contacted, DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Akhtaruzzaman said, "It's true that there is a rule of six years for honours and two years for master's. But sometimes, students are given extra time through different processes."

Nahian Khan Joy told this newspaper that Chhatra League activists can actively take part in student politics till 29 years of age, as per the organisation's constitution.

"Both Chhatra Dal president and general secretary are 10 years older than me," he said, adding that JCD leaders are not allowed to stay in dormitories as they are not regular students.

However, The Daily Star found at least 70 central and DU unit leaders of BCL who are not regular students but still staying at the dormitories illegally.

Joydev Bhattacharya, acting president of Chhatra Front (Marxist) central committee, was a student of the 2003-2004 session and General Secretary Rashed Shahriar of 2005-2006.

The DU unit president and secretary of the organisation, Salman Siddiqui and Pragati Barman Toma, were admitted in 2010-2011.

None of the four are regular students of the university anymore.

Asked about it, Salman said, "Our leadership is selected in line with the constitution of our organisation."

Chhatra Union President Faiz Ullah was a student of 2010-11 session while General Secretary Dipak Sil of 2009-10.

"Our leadership is elected according to their own constitution. Studentship cannot be a criterion; basically the issue is being brought up to keep us away from student politics," said Faiz.

Rashidul Haq, president of Chhatra League backed by a faction of Jatiya Samjtantrik Dal President, was a Dhaka College student of 2005-06 session while General Secretary Masud Ahmed a DU student of 2008-09.

Kazi Abdul Motaleb, president of Chhatra Maitree, is not a regular student while Atulan Das, its general secretary, is doing his post-graduation from a private university. The organisation has formed a seven-member convening committee to arrange a council of its DU unit.

Chhatra Front DU unit President Rajib Kanti and General Secretary Sohail Ahmed are regular students as they are from 2016-17 session.

Prof Syed Anwar Husain, noted academic and historian, said, "I have never seen in my 52 years of career that the Chhatra League and Chhatra Dal fought each other over the issues relating to students' interest -- like crises of seat, library or classroom.

"So, how can we say those are student organisations?"

Prof Tanzimuddin thinks that Ducsu elections not being held was a reason for non-students leading the organisations as only regular students can participate in the Ducsu polls.

"These so-called student leaders usually remain isolated from general students … this cannot be beneficial to general students as they remain busy serving the interests of their parent organisations," he added.