DUCSU In Vicious Trap Of Status Quo

DUCSU In Vicious Trap Of Status Quo

- Reaz Ahmad

The anti-autocratic movement was in its height the year I got enrolled as a Dhaka University student and started attending classes as a freshman. In those turbulent days of 1987-88 almost every other DU student would rather take pride in his or her participation in the movement for restoring democracy in the country and study was relegated to second important agenda in daily routine. Almost everyone used to chant full-throated slogan - “Down with autocracy” in between classes. Martyrdom of a fearless pro-democracy youth – Noor Hossain – in late 1987 was a turning point that gave momentum to the anti-Ershad movement. We had witnessed and at times took part too in the builds-up of greater student movements in support of pro-democracy parties. Student bodies leaning towards different shades of politics – centre, centre-right and centre-left – were desperately in search of common ground. We were all so familiar with the notion of building unity on the basis of ‘minimum common ground’. Of course the main target was to oust HM Ershad, then military dictator, who would later turnout to be an essential ally for fostering ‘democracy’.