Chhatra Front demands 25% budget for education, student union elections

The Samajtantrik Chhatra Front brought out a procession and held rally at Dhaka University on Monday, May 26, 2025, demanding 25 per cent of the national budget for education and the immediate holding of student union elections, including the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU). 

The procession started at Madhu’s Canteen, circled the campus, and concluded with a rally at the Aparajeya Bangla.

Moderated by General Secretary Rafiquzzaman Farid and presided over by President Salman Siddiqui, the rally featured speeches by Central Committee Vice-President Sanjay Kanti Das and Dhaka University branch convener Mozammel Haque. 

Haque highlighted recent campus incidents, including the murders of Tofazzal and Shammo, the burning of Sheikh Hasina’s motif, and the harassment of a female student, linking them to a culture of impunity. “A democratic learning environment requires student council elections in all higher educational institutions, including DUCSU,” he said.

Sanjay Kanti Das criticised the Awami League’s 15-year rule, accusing its student wing, Chhatra League, of fostering campus terrorism, room occupation, and a flawed ‘National Curriculum-2021’ that harmed education. He noted that while the interim government formed reform commissions, it neglected an Education Reform Commission, perpetuating the education crisis.

In his closing remarks, Salman Siddiqui reiterated the demand for 6% of GDP or 25% of the budget for education in the upcoming fiscal plan, citing inadequate research funding and crises in academic infrastructure, housing, and salaries. 

He accused successive governments of side-lining student parliaments since 1990, undermining democratic rights. “Even after the recent coup, no proper steps have been taken to hold student elections. We demand immediate polls in DUCSU and other institutions,” he said.