Chhatra Dal central committee to be reduced to half

This time, the size of the BNP's student wing, Chhatra Dal Central Committee, is being reduced. The previous committee had 391 members, but the new committee will be about half that size. Initially, a 7-member super committee was announced, and now preparations are underway to announce the central partial committee of the organisation before the upcoming Eid. Meanwhile, Chhatra Dal's central leaders have conducted extensive evaluations of the departing members and have submitted the list of names to the parent organisation for consideration.

The aspirants express hope that those who demonstrated leadership during difficult times will be selected. The current central leaders assure that they have carefully considered the expectations of the workers in their decision-making process.

On March 1, Rakibul Islam was announced as the president and Nashir Uddin as the general secretary of Chhatra Dal. In the committee, Abu Afsan Mohammad Yahya is the senior vice president, Shyamal Malum is the senior joint general secretary, Amanullah Aman is the organisational secretary, Md Jahangir Alam has been appointed the office secretary, and Sharif Pradhan Shubho has been named the publicity secretary.

It is known that there had been ongoing discussions about reducing the size of the Chhatra Dal committee for some time. Previously, the committee comprised of 391 members, but this large size led to coordination issues, particularly noticeable during movements and activities. The lack of coordination often hampered the committee's effectiveness, and the large number of leaders sometimes caused chaos on the ground. To address these issues, the organisation decided to form a smaller committee. Initially, there was a discussion about limiting the committee to 51, 71, or a maximum of 100 members. However, the final decision was to reduce the committee to about half its previous size.

Before the upcoming Eid, the Central Committee of the Chhatra Dal will be announced with 101 members, including 15 to 20 women. In the second phase, additional members may be added to form a full committee. Senior leaders, including the current committee president and general secretary, have been holding meeting over the past few days to finalise the partial committee. They have carefully evaluated and listed those who have been active during particularly difficult times. This list has been sent to the organisational leader of the party and acting chairman of BNP, Tarique Rahman. Several leaders have indicated that a partial committee will be announced before Eid.

Rehana Akhter, convenor of the Eden University College branch of Chhatra Dal, expressed her belief that those who were active in the movement, especially after October 28, will be given recognition. She is hopeful that she will receive a good position if the evaluation process is fair and thorough.

ABM Ejazul Kabir Ruel, the former acting president of the Dhaka University branch of Chhatra Dal, said, "We have come to know that we will have a committee very soon. In that case, it is my expectation that there will be a full-fledged committee with dedicated, tested leaders and activists."

Chhatra Dal General Secretary Nashir Uddin Nashir told The Daily Messenger, "Senior leaders of the organisation have been holding meeting and evaluating members, preparing a list for several days. There are instructions from Chhatra Dal's parent leader, Tarique Rahman, to prioritise those who have worked hard and sacrificed, especially after October 28.

“We are working accordingly. I am hopeful that the committee will be announced before Eid." He added that the scope of the committee might be reduced to half its previous size, but the final decision rests with Tarique Rahman.