From shadows to spotlight: Chhatra Shibir sweeps DUCSU elections in shock upset

Seizing the momentum of the July Uprising, Islami Chhatra Shibir has re-emerged in a striking new avatar and clinched an unprecedented victory in the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) elections. The student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, which had never before won a DUCSU seat nor openly fielded a panel, emerged as the dominant force early on Wednesday, capturing key posts, including vice-president (VP) and general secretary (GS). In all, Shibir-backed candidates won a significant share of the 28 positions in the central union -- nine of the 12 executive secretary posts in addition to VP and GS -- to mark its first major breakthrough on the campus in decades. The election, held after a six-year hiatus, drew more than 40,000...