Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatradal

Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatradal (Bengali: বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী ছাত্রদল, lit.'Bangladesh Nationalist Student Party'; abbreviated as JCD),[1] popularly known as Chatradal or Chatra Dal, is a Bangladeshi student organisation affiliated with Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).[2][3] Many of the top BNP leaders and policy-makers today were once closely associated with JCD and developed as student leaders.[4][5]

Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatradal
বাংলাদেশ জাতীয়তাবাদী ছাত্রদল
PresidentRakibul Islam Rakib
Secretary GeneralNasir Uddin Nasir
Founded1 January 1979; 45 years ago (1979-01-01)
Headquarters80, Bhashani Bhaban, Naya Paltan, Dhaka
IdeologyCivic nationalism
National conservatism
PositionCentre-right
Mother partyBangladesh Nationalist Party
Websitebnpbd.org/chatra-dal

History and organisation

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After the Bangladesh Nationalist Party was founded by Ziaur Rahman, he realized a strong student organization was needed to cherish future BNP leaders, and founded Chhatradal on January 1, 1979. Chatradal has adopted the 19-point programme, based on the mother party BNP's structure and approach.[3] Chatradal was one of the vanguard organisations in the pro-democratic mass uprising against military ruler Hussain Muhammad Ershad.[6][7]

Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatradal is led by a committee, of whom all the members are students. Chatradal has 736 member national committee. The committee formed in 2016 came under criticism from party activists for including nonstudents and people with criminal cases filed against them; despite Chairperson of BNP Khaleda Zia forbidding it. It also had members, who were victims of forced disappearances.[8]

Controversies

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In 2004, members of JCD harassed the NGO Proshika, resulting in damage to its headquarters and two local offices in Mehdiganj, Barisal. These events occurred under the then BNP-Jamaat coalition government.[9] On 11 September 2004, JCD activists targeted opposition student groups, journalists, and vandalized the office of Dhaka University Teachers Association president AAMS Arefin Siddique.[10] Additionally, on 15 October 2015, a conflict between Chatradal and Chhatrashibir at BL College in Daulatpur led to the deployment of Border Guard Bangladesh and riot police.[11]

In 2002, Sony, a student of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, died in a shootout between two factions of Chatradal.[12][13] On 19 November 2006, JCD members attacked and injured five activists of Chhatra Sangram Parishad and detonated bombs at Dhaka University.[14] The police filed cases against 150 JCD activists for attacking law enforcement during factional protests in Sylhet.[15] On 9 November 2008, Ashraful Islam Pintu, the president of the Jhenaidah unit of JCD, was arrested with a gun and bomb.[16]

On 19 January 2010, factional clashes within Chatradal resulted in injuries to 25 people, including a proctor and four police officers.[17] On 12 December 2010, 200 JCD activists attacked their own headquarters in Naya Paltan over the formation of a unit committee.[18] Saiduzzaman Pasha, a Dhaka University JCD activist, was arrested on 28 January 2010 after photos of him armed with a gun during factional clashes emerged; he faced several criminal charges, including extortion.[19]

On 26 May 2013, JCD members vandalized 25 vehicles during protests in support of Tarique Rahman in Dhaka.[20] On 15 August 2013, JCD engaged in factional clashes during Khaleda Zia's birthday celebration in Chittagong, damaging private property.[21] On 28 November 2013, JCD attacked a demonstration by the Bangladesh Awami League's student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League in Narsingdi, resulting in the deaths of two Chhatra League members.[22]

Factional clashes among JCD activists in front of the BNP office in Naya Paltan on 17 March 2014 left 10 activists injured.[23] On 7 March 2015, a JCD leader was injured while attempting to build a bomb in Chittagong.[24] On 19 July 2015, the central president of JCD, Rajib Ahsan, and five associates were arrested with the drug Ya Ba in Dumki upazila, Patuakhali.[25] [26]

List of presidents and general secretaries

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Presidents Later role/Affiliation General secretaries Later role/Affiliation
1 Enamul Karim Shahid AKM Golam Hossain Professor, Dept of Government and Politics, Jahangirnagar University
2 Golam Sarwar Milon Ex MP, Jatiya Party
3 Shamsuzzaman Dudu Vice-chairman, Ex MP BNP
4 Jalal Ahmed
5 Dr. Asaduzzaman Ripon Vice-chairman, BNP Amanullah Aman Joint Secretary General, BNP Ex State Minister
6 Amanullah Aman Joint Secretary General, BNP Ex State Minister
7 Ruhul Kabir Rizvi Joint Secretary General, Spokesperson, BNP Ilias Ali Ex MP, BNP
8 AKM Fazlul Haque Milon President, Gazipur District BNP, Ex MP
9 Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee Publicity and Publications Secretary, BNP, Ex MP Habib Un Nabi Sohel Joint Secretary General, BNP
10 Habib Un Nabi Sohel Joint Secretary General, BNP
11 Nasiruddin Ahmed Pintu Ex MP, BNP Shahabuddin Laltu
12 Shahabuddin Laltu Azizul Bari Helal Information Secretary, BNP
13 Azizul Bari Helal Information Secretary, BNP Shafiul Bari Babu President, Jatiotabadi Sessasebok Dol, BNP
14 Sultan Salahuddin Tuku President, Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Jubo Dal Amirul Islam Khan Alim Assistant Publicity and Publications Secretary, BNP
15 Abdul Kader Jewel Bhuiyan General Secretary, Jatiotabadi Sessasebok Dol, BNP Habibur Rashid Habib
16 Rajib Ahsan Akramul Hasan
17 Fazlur Rahman Khokon Iqbal Hossain Shyamal
18 Kazi Rawnakul Islam Saif Mahmud Jewel
19 Rakibul Islam Rakib Nasir Uddin Nasir

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Constitution of JCD". Archived from the original on 21 March 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  2. ^ "Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chatradal". Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Bangladesh National party". bnpbd.org. Archived from the original on 21 March 2015. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  4. ^ "6 Chhatra Dal leaders allegedly picked up by plainclothes law enforcement members". The Business Standard. 19 August 2023.
  5. ^ "JCD gets partial central, DU committees". New Age (Bangladesh). 1 March 2024.
  6. ^ Crossette, Barbara (9 December 1990). "Revolution Brings Bangladesh Hope". The New York Times.
  7. ^ "The Other Woman". The Daily Star. 31 January 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  8. ^ "Non-students rule new JCD committee". The Daily Star. 8 February 2016. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  9. ^ Zaman, Mustafa. "Proshika A Case Gone Sour". Star Magazine. The Daily Star. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  10. ^ "JCD let loose terror on DU campus". The Daily Star. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  11. ^ "Shibir, Chhatra Dal clash at BL College". The Daily Star. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  12. ^ "Sony's death anniversary observed". BDNews24. 7 June 2005. Retrieved 21 April 2020.
  13. ^ "The Tragedy of Student Politics". The Daily Star. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  14. ^ "JCD men attack Chhatra Sangram Parishad activists on DU campus". The Daily Star. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  15. ^ "150 JCD men sued for violence, vandalism". The Daily Star. 22 August 2009. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  16. ^ "Jhenidah Chhatra Dal leader sent to jail". The Daily Star. 10 November 2008. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  17. ^ "JCD men fight at DU". The Daily Star. 19 January 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  18. ^ "Dhaka College JCD men ransack central office". The Daily Star. 13 December 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  19. ^ "Chhatra Dal cadre Pasha arrested". The Daily Star. 29 January 2010. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  20. ^ "JCD men vandalise 17 vehicles in capital". The Daily Star. 27 May 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  21. ^ "JCD men clash over celebration". The Daily Star. 16 August 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  22. ^ "2 killed on last day of blockade". The Daily Star. 29 November 2013. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  23. ^ "Aggrieved JCD men postpone agitation following assurance". The Daily Star. 19 October 2014. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  24. ^ "'Bomb-maker' JCD leader hurt in city". The Daily Star. 22 January 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  25. ^ "JCD president, 5 others sent to jail". The Daily Star. 20 July 2015. Retrieved 6 April 2017.
  26. ^ "History of Jatiotabadi Chatra Dal". Dhaka Mail. 3 September 2022. Retrieved 31 August 2024.