The trend shows that people seldom want to run elections on their own and eventually come under the banner of different political organisations. The concern is that student politics will erupt again with EUCSU polls.

— Prof Mizanur Rahman, Buet's student welfare office director

Organisational student and teacher politics was banned at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), after common students protested following the killing of Abrar Fahad by members of Chhatra League in 2019.

Twenty among 25 convicts in the Abrar murder case have recently been sentenced to death, while the others have been sentenced to life imprisonment.

Two years after the murder, majority of the university's students still remain in favour of the ban.

The polls for Engineering University Central Students' Union (EUCSU) at Buet have not been held for 20 years. In contrast, Dhaka University Central Students' Union elections were held in 2019, after 28 years, in the face of students' demands. 

EUCSU is a structural platform, where students elect a representative panel led by a president, vice-president and general secretary through casting direct votes. This presents a chance for students to democratically elect their representatives, who will communicate with the administration on their behalf.

However, most students at Buet are not in favour of holding EUCSU elections in the current climate.

This correspondent recently contacted at least 10 class representatives from different batches of several departments, and many other students of Buet. The majority of them said they don't want student union elections at the moment.

On condition of anonymity, they said they do not want EUCSU to be relaunched at this time, because of the looming fear of violence the university witnessed when student politics prevailed. 

"We don't want any form of political influence at the university, especially after Abrar's murder," they said.

HOW IS BUET DOING WITHOUT POLITICS AND EUCSU?

Majority of students say they don't feel the need to talk about their rights and demands through a political body.

"We are now united regarding our rights and are hopeful that this unity will resist any injustice," they said.

Asked how they resolve issues with the administration, the group of class representatives told this correspondent that they now discuss the issues among themselves first, and then contact the administration based on consensus.

They said they hope to continue this practice in the future.

Asked about the possibility of holding EUCSU polls, Prof Mizanur Rahman, Buet's student welfare office director, said, "If the students demand it, we will consider it."

However, he too expressed his concerns regarding the polls.

"The trend shows that people seldom want to run elections on their own and eventually come under the banner of different political organisations," said Prof Mizanur.

"The concern is that student politics will erupt again with EUCSU polls," he added.

THE OTHER END OF THE SPECTRUM

Some students, though small in number, have pointed out the importance of holding EUCSU polls. According to them, the prevailing culture of "playing the seniority card" when it comes to representing students in front of the administration is not a democratic one.

If EUCSU is relaunched, the elected leadership will talk about student rights, creating a recognised medium for common students to negotiate their demands with the administration.

Requesting anonymity, this group of students also said without an elected student body, there is no way to keep the teachers' arbitrariness in check.

Asked about the possibility of EUCSU encouraging organisational politics on campus again, the students in favour of the polls said the university administration has the authority to bar candidates from joining any established political party. This way, the candidates will be from the common students, and not much chance will remain for organisational politics to prevail.

Asked about the necessity of EUCSU elections, former Buet professor and educationist Dr M Kaykobad said, "I think student union elections are necessary to develop leadership and the spirit to protest against any injustice among students."

"Practicing democratic values, tolerance and dissent in educational institutions is a must," he added.