Bangladesh Islami Chhatri Sangstha


Bangladesh Islami Chhatri Sangstha functions as a de facto affiliate organization of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami. It stands as the sole Islamic political organization dedicated to female students in Bangladesh.
The organization was founded on 15 July 1978 from an initiative of eleven students at Eden Mohila College. From 2009, under the administration of the Awami League-led government, the organization encountered significant political pressure. Following the dissolution of the Awami League-led government on 5 August 2024, the organization has renewed its activities with fresh vigor throughout the country.
In addition to its political mission, the organization undertakes a wide array of social initiatives among its student membership. Annually, members elect a central president and nominate a secretary to oversee organizational affairs. At present, the central presidency is held by Muhtaramah Munjia. Today, the orgnisation maintains committees across a broad spectrum of institutions—schools, colleges, madrasas, public and private universities, medical colleges—as well as at thana, district, and metropolitan levels.
WWW islamichatrisangstha.org

History

On 15 July 1978, the Bangladesh Islami Chhatri Sangstha was established, launching its journey through the initiative of eleven students at Eden Mohila College. At its founding, Khondker Ayesha Khatun served as the organization’s central president.
After the Awami League came to power in 2009, citing security concerns, many of the organization’s leaders and activists were arrested. On 4 July 2009, three students were detained; on 17 December 2012, twenty more were taken into custody. In 2014, twenty-four members from Khilgaon, Dhaka, and three from the University of Dhaka were arrested. In September 2016, a government notification under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s administration banned the organization’s activities in educational institutions. Subsequently, arrests continued: four students in January 2017, six in February, and twenty-one in October of that year. In October 2019, fourteen members were apprehended across various areas of Pabna District.
Following the Student-People's Uprising of 2024 and the fall of the Awami League government, the Islami Chhatri Sangstha was once again able to organize protest rallies and expand its presence within educational institutions.

Objectives

The organization’s three-point program:
  1. Widespread dissemination and propagation of a correct understanding of the Deen of Islām among female students
  2. Organizing Islām-inclined students into a cohesive body and providing them training to lead an elevated moral life
  3. Establishing the dignity of the student community and undertaking measures to resolve their multifaceted challenges

Persecution

Since the Bangladesh Awami League assumed power, the Chhatri Sangstha has been subjected to various forms of coercion. In particular, from 2013 onward, there have been repeated instances of arrests, prison torture, remands, and the expulsion of students affiliated with the organization from multiple educational institutions. Most recently, in August 2016, the Ministry of Education directed both the University Grants Commission and the Islamic Arabic University to take steps to suspend the activities of the Islami Chhatri Sangstha. Following that directive, official letters were issued banning the organization's chapters in numerous colleges, universities, and in fazil and kamil level madrasahs.