| Bangladesh Chhatra League | |
| Native Name: | বাংলাদেশ ছাত্রলীগ |
| Colorcode: | red |
| Logo2: | বাংলাদেশ ছাত্রলীগের পতাকা.svg |
| President: | Saddam Hussain |
| Secretary General: | Sheikh Wali Asif Enan[1] |
| Preceded By: | East Pakistan Muslim Students' League |
| Dissolved: | (banned) |
| Headquarters: | 23, Bangabandhu Avenue, Gulistan, Dhaka |
| Ideology: | Mujibism, Bengali nationalism |
| Colours: | red |
| Mother Party: | Bangladesh Awami League |
Bangladesh Chhatra League (bn|বাংলাদেশ ছাত্রলীগ, pronounced as /bn/;); BSL/BCL), formerly known as the East Pakistan Student League, simply called the Chhatra League, is the student wing of the political party, Bangladesh Awami League, founded by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman on 4 January 1948.[2] The organisation is banned and designated as a terrorist organisation by the Interim Government of Bangladesh.[3]
BCL has been repeatedly accused of committing mass violence including torture, extortion, forced prostitution, killings to instill fear. At least 33 people were killed and 1,500 were seriously injured from attacks by BSL between 2009 and 2014. The number of fatalities rose to 129 between 2014 and 2018 while 31 people were killed in 2018 alone.
A BSL leader was arrested for links with the banned terrorist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh in a militant hunt after the July 2016 Dhaka attack.[4] The leaders and activists of BSL were also found involved in the 2021 Bangladesh communal violence.[5]
Bangladesh Chhatra League is accused of running a 'forced prostitution' racket by forcing the girls of Eden Mohila College unit by blackmailing them.[6]
Following the attacks on student protesters in 2018, a petition was started by general people of Bangladesh to "Enlist Bangladesh Chhatra League (BSL/BCL) as a Terrorist Organization" at Change.org.[7] [8] In 2019, Online news portal Dhaka Tribune labelled the organization as "the brand of shame".[9] On 26 May 2022, after a series of attack on dissident student groups, eight left-wing student organizations termed Bangladesh Chhatra League a 'terrorist organization'.[10] The organisation was banned by the Government of Bangladesh on 23 October 2024 under the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009, following their involvement in the July massacre.[11]
On 4 January 1948, the East Pakistan Muslim Chhatra League was established by Sheikh Mujibur Rahman at a meeting in Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall at the University of Dhaka.[12] Naeemuddin Ahmed was the first convener of BSL,[13] while Khaleque Nawaz Khan was the founder general secretary of the Chhatra League.[14]
The Chhatra League played an important role in the Bengali Language Movement of 1952 through breaking curfews with their protests.
The Chhatra League led student protests against the Shariff Commission recommendations in the 1962 East Pakistan Education movement.
The organisation's name was changed to the Bangladesh Chhatra League after the Independence of Bangladesh in 1971.
During the Bangladesh Liberation War, the Bangladesh Chhatra League was a key player, but in 1972, it broke up into two factions based on their allegiance to Shekh Mujibur Rahman.[15] The group was a pioneer in the 1952 Language Movement, the 1954 general election victory of the United Front (East Pakistan), the anti-Aiyub movement in 1958, the education movement in 1962, the Six-Point movement in 1966, the 1969 East Pakistan mass uprising, and the 1970 Pakistani general election.[16]
During the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War, members of the Chhatra League were recruited into the Mujib Bahini (also known as the Bengal Liberation Force),[17] an armed group trained by India's foreign intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing. However, their exact involvement in the war is disputed, with Zafrullah Chowdhury stating, "The Mujib Bahini did not fight the liberation war."[18] In 2014, A. K. Khandker was sued for accusing the Mujib Bahini of hooliganism and looting during the war in his book in his book 1971: Bhetore Baire.[19]
On 23 October 2024, the government of Bangladesh banned the organisation with designation of the organisation as a terrorist organisation under Anti-Terrorism Act, 2009.[20] [21] [22]
Since the 1990s, numerous rape and sexual violence allegations have surfaced in the media involving Chhatra League leaders and activists. Leaders, activists and members of the organisation are often accused of using rape as a tool to suppress the women and create an environment of fear.[23] There is also well documented incidents involving Chhatra League leaders celebrating the raping of one hundred women.[24]
See main article: article and 1999 JU Anti-Rape Movement. The general secretary of Bangladesh Chhatra League Jahangirnagar University unit, Jasimuddin Manik and his adherents celebrated the rape of 100th girls including at least 20 students of the university in 1998. This led to a series of protests, which resulted in the expulsion of Manik and his followers from the university on 2 August 1999 after the 1999 JU Anti-Rape Movement.[24]
During the Bengali New Year celebration on the Dhaka University campus, a group of individuals assaulted women at the event, attempting to strip them of their clothing.[25] Witnesses reported that law enforcement officers were present nearby but did not intervene. One witness, Amit, who was also attacked and sustained injuries, stated that
Amit and five fellow activists tried to protect a group of women, aged between 25 and 30, from the attackers. He described the chaos, noting that adding that thousands of people were present in the area, making it difficult to stop the attackers.[26]
Despite CCTV footage identifying the perpetrators, no arrests were made by 2019. The police investigation, lasting eight months, ended without conclusively identifying the suspects. In December 2015, a final report submitted to the court by the Detective Branch indicated that the culprits could not be identified beyond basic facial recognition from the footage.
Speculation arose that political influences may have affected the investigation, as the Awami League, which has alleged controls over law enforcement, is linked to Chhatra League. Some have suggested that the police may have been complicit by not intervening or making arrests. Additionally, it was noted that Chhatra League discouraged its female members from protesting the incident.[27]
On 28 September, reports indicated that members of the Chhatra League had been involved in factional clashes at Murari Chand College, which had led to four deaths in separate incidents since 2018.[28] The report followed an alleged rape incident in which BCL activists were accused of assaulting a woman near the "BCL Men's Room" at MC College.[29] [30] The victim’s husband filed a case against several members of the organisation,[31] and the victim named certain individuals in her court statement.[32] As of 29 September 2020, seven suspects had been arrested, and DNA evidence confirmed their involvement[33] [34]
A female tourist, who was a housewife and mother of an eight-month-old child, was allegedly gang-raped by three individuals identified as Joy, Ashiq, and Babu. The attackers reportedly separated her from her husband and children, who were held hostage while the assault took place in a prominent tourist area in Cox’s Bazar. Women’s rights activist Shireen Huq condemned the incident, describing it as "misogyny and banditry at its worst."[35]
A female student at University of Chattogram was reportedly abducted near her dormitory by a group of individuals linked to the Chhatra League and stripped, with an attempted sexual assault following.[36] An investigation by law enforcement later identified the five suspects as activists linked to Rezaul Haque, an associate of Deputy Education Minister Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury.[37] Rezaul Haque was accused of obstructing the student from filing a formal complaint, for which he received a show-cause notice from the organisation. Prior to this incident, two other students had also been sexually assaulted on campus, allegedly by individuals connected to followers of the Deputy Education Minister. These cases were reportedly not pursued by the university, as they involved BCL and individuals tied to the minister.[38]
In September 2022, allegations surfaced in the media accusing the leadership of the Chhatra League at Eden Mohila College of sexually exploiting female students.[39] According to some BCL leaders within the college, the president of the unit, allegedly supported by senior leadership, was accused of blackmailing young students with compromising photographs and videos. The reports claimed that these students were coerced into sexual submission to male party leaders and influential figures.[40]
See main article: Murder of Biswajit Das.
Biswajit Das, a 24-year-old tailor in Dhaka, Bangladesh, was murdered on 9 December 2012 by members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League who mistook Das for an opposition supporter. Das was chased and attacked with machetes, iron bars, and hockey sticks.[41] He was taken to Mitford Hospital, where he shortly died of his wounds.[42] Twenty-one BSL activists were found guilty of murder on 18 December 2013. Eight were sentenced to death and thirteen were sentenced to life in prison.[43] Only eight of the twenty-one defendants were in custody at the time of the sentence, with the remaining thirteen tried in absentia.[44] [45]
See main article: article and Murder of Abrar Fahad. On 6 October 2019, Abrar Fahad, a second-year student in the Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) department at Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), was murdered inside BUET's Sher-e-Bangla Hall by activists of the Chhatra League.
The incident sparked national outrage and led to protests against campus violence. Out of 25 convicts, 20 were given death sentence and 5 others were give life sentence in relation to the murder of Abrar Fahad following a highly publicized trial.[46] [47] An autopsy report later confirmed that Fahad died as a result of severe blunt force trauma.[48] [49] [50]
See main article: Killing of Nahid Hossain. On 19 April 2022, Nahid Hossain, a courier delivery person, was beaten to death, during a clash between Dhaka College students and shopkeepers in the New Market area of Dhaka. The conflict, which began over a dispute at a local eatery, escalated into violent encounters involving student activists from the Bangladesh Chhatra League, resulting in several injuries. Following the incident, six Dhaka College students were identified as prime suspects, and the trial, which has drawn significant attention, is still ongoing as of mid-2023.[51] [52]
See main article: Killing of Tofazzal Hossain. On 18 September 2024, Tofazzal Hossain was detained by students at the University of Dhaka, accused of stealing six cellphones during a cricket match. He was taken to the Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall, where he became a victim of extreme physical violence and torture.[53] [54] Among those involved were three leaders and two active members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League.[55] [56] They assaulted Hossain using cricket bats and stumps, inflicting injuries. As Hossain's condition worsened, he was eventually handed over to the proctors and taken to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.[57]
In March 2018, a student at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) was injured by a gunshot during a clash between two factions of the Chhatra League.[58] The conflict reportedly arose between two groups, both led by vice-presidents of the SUST BCL unit, over campus dominance. The altercation escalated when a group of BCL members, led by a BCL leader and his associates, attacked an individual at a nearby restaurant. In response, the individual fired a gun, resulting in the injury of another student.[58]
See main article: 2018 Bangladesh quota reform movement. In July 2018, protests and counter-violence erupted at several universities, particularly Rajshahi University, in response to the quota reform movement, which aimed to change the system allocating 56% of Bangladesh government jobs to specific groups. During a protest on 2 July 2018, Toriqul Islam, a leader of the quota reform movement, along with 15 others, was attacked with sticks, bamboo poles, a dagger, and a hammer. Islam sustained a broken leg in the assault.[59] [60] Footage of the attack, which identified 11 attackers, 10 of whom were reportedly members of the Bangladesh Chhatra League (BSL), circulated widely on social media. The incident drew significant criticism for the lack of intervention by police and university authorities.
See main article: 2018 Bangladesh road safety protests. On 29 July 2018, two students were killed and twelve others were injured when a bus collided with a bus stop in Dhaka. This incident sparked widespread protests demanding improved road safety.[61] During the protests, members of the Chhatra League were accused of involvement in multiple attacks on protesters across the country. On 5 August 2018, several photojournalists were allegedly assaulted by individuals, reportedly BCL members wearing helmets, while law enforcement officers present did not intervene.[62] [63]
In its 2020 country report, Reporters Without Borders highlighted incidents during the 2020 Dhaka North City Corporation election and Dhaka South City Corporation election where at least 10 journalists were brutally attacked while attempting to report on alleged widespread electoral rigging. The report attributed these assaults to individuals affiliated with the Chhatra League.[64]
See main article: article and 2021 Bangladesh Anti-Modi Protest. Sanjit Chandra Das, leader of Dhaka University's Chhatra League unit, declared to "peel off the skin" of protesters if they demonstrated against Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bangladesh in March 2021.[65] His supporters reportedly attacked students, individuals inside the national mosque compound in Dhaka, and students within a madrasa compound in Brahmanbaria in an effort to suppress the protests.[66] These actions sparked widespread anti-Modi demonstrations across the country, resulting in 10 fatalities as of March 27, 2021.[67]
See main article: July massacre. The joint forces of the Chhatra League and other law enforcement agencies in Bangladesh employed violent measures to suppress the 2024 quota protests and the non-cooperation movement across the country.[68] During the crackdown, more than one thousand protesters lost their lives, and more than 20,000 were injured as a result of the clashes.[69] [70] [71] [72] [73]
See main article: 2021 anti-Hindu violence in Bangladesh. Leaders and activists of the Chhatra League were reported to be involved in coordinated attacks on the Hindu community in the districts of Chandpur and Rangpur during the 2021 communal violence in Bangladesh.
On October 23, 2024, Bangladesh's interim government officially banned the organisation in response to acts of violence committed by its members and leaders from 2008 to 2024. The decision followed the BCL's involvement in violent incidents during the Student–People's uprising. The Ministry of Home Affairs' Public Security Division issued a gazette notification announcing the ban, invoking provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2009, with specific reference to the group's role in the July massacre.[76]
| Year | Presidents | Later role/Affiliation | General secretaries | Later role/Affiliation | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1947-1947 | Naimuddin Ahmed | Unknown | Adnan Ali Khadem | Unknown |
| 2 | 1947-1950 | Dabirul Islam | MLA, KSP | Khaleque Nawaz Khan | MLA, KSP |
| 3 | 1950-52 | Khaleque Nawaz Khan | MLA, KSP | Kamruzzaman | Presidium Member, Awami League |
| 4 | 1952-53 | Kamruzzaman | Presidium Member, Awami League | MA Wadud | Journalist, The Daily Ittefaq |
| 5 | 1953-57 | Abdul Momin Talukdar | Deputy Minister, LGRD and Cooperative | M A Awal | Convenor, Awami League |
| 6 | 1957-60 | Rafiq Ullah Choudhury | Prime Minister's Secretary | Shah Moazzem Hossain (In-charge, after Azhar Ali resigned) | Vice President, BNP |
| 7 | 1960-63 | Shah Moazzem Hossain | Vice President, BNP | Sheikh Fazlul Haque Mani | Executive Committee member, BAKSAL |
| 8 | 1963-65 | KM Obaidur Rahman | General Secretary, BNP | Serajul Alam Khan | Founder, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal |
| 9 | 1965-67 | Syed Mazharul Haque Baki | Unknown | Abdur Razzaq | Presidium member, Awami League |
| 10 | 1967-68 | Ferdous Ahmed Qureshi | Joint Secretary, BNP & Founder PDP | Abdur Razzaq | Presidium member, Awami League |
| 11 | 1968-69 | Abdur Rauf | Expelled, MP from Awami League | Khaled Mohammad Ali | Unknown |
| 12 | 1969-70 | Tofail Ahmed | Minister, MP and Presidium Member from Awami League | A. S. M. Abdur Rab | President, Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal-JSD |
| 13 | 1970-72 | Nur-e-Alam Siddiqui | Businessman | Shajahan Siraj (Expelled in 1972) | Minister & MP from BNP |
| 14 | 1972-1972 | Nur-e-Alam Siddiqui | Businessman | Ismat Kadir Gama | Unknown |
| 15 | 1972-1973 | Sheikh Shahidul Islam | Secretary General, Jatiya Party (Manju) | MA Radhid | Unknown |
| 16 | 1973-74 | Monirul Haq Chowdhury | Vice President, BNP | Mostofa Jalal Mohiuddin | MP from Awami League |
| 17 | 1976-77 | MA Awal (Convenor) | Unknown | N/A | N/A |
| 18 | 1977-81 | Obaidul Quader, MP | General Secretary, Awami League | Bahalul Majnun Chunnu | Unknown |
| 19 | 1981-83 | Mostofa Jalal Mohiuddin | MP from Awami League | AKM Jahangir Hossain | MP from Awami League |
| 20 | 1983-85 | Abdul Mannan | Organizing Secretary, Awami League | Jahangir Kabir Nanak | Presidium Member, Awami League |
| 21 | 1986-88 | Sultan Mohammad Mansur Ahmed, MP | Parliament member from Gono Forum | Abdur Rahman, MP | Joint Secretary, Awami League |
| 22 | 1988-1990 | Habibur Rahman | Expelled, Advisor of BNP | Ashim Kumar Ukil, MP | Cultural Secretary, Awami League |
| 23 | 1990-92 | Shahe Alam | MP from Awami League | Ashim Kumar Ukil, MP | Cultural Secretary, Awami League |
| 24 | 1992-94 | Mainuddin Hossain Chowdhury | Inactive in politics | Iqbalur Rahim | MP from Awami League |
| 25 | 1994-98 | AKM Enamul Haque Shamim | MP from Awami League | Ishaq Ali Khan Panna | Businessman[78] |
| 26 | 1999-02 | Bahadur Bepari | Executive Committee member, Awami League | Ajay Kar Khokon | Awami League leader[79] |
| 27 | 2002-06 | Liaqat Shikder | Sub-committee member Awami League | Nazrul Islam Babu | MP from Awami League |
| 28 | 2006-11 | Mahmud Hasan Ripon | Active in Gaibandha | Mahfuzul Haider Chowdhury Roton | Inactive in politics |
| 29 | 2011-15 | HM Badiuzzaman Sohag | Active in Bagerhat Awami League | Siddiqui Nazmul Alam | Resides in UK, inactive[80] |
| 30 | 2015-2018 | Saifur Rahman Sohag | Active in Madaripur Awami League | SM Zakir Hossain | Active in Sylhet Awami League |
| 31 | 2018-2019 | Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury Shovon | Inactive in politics | Golam Rabbani | Inactive in politics |
| 32 | 2019-2022 | Al-Nahean Khan Joy | Unknown | Lekhak Bhattacharjee | Unknown |
| 33 | 2022–present | Saddam Hussain | Sheikh Wali Asif Enan | ||