Bangladesh student politics has followed same pattern since 1990s. Recent violence shows it persists.

Sajjad Zahir Chandan said violent student clashes in Bangladesh reflect a long-running pattern in which the student organization aligned with state power dominates university campuses.

He said the practice has continued since the 1990s and cited the 16 to 17 years of Sheikh Hasina’s rule, when Chhatra League controlled campuses and prevented rival student groups from conducting political activities.

“Today we are also seeing that these student clashes are primarily over the occupation of those campuses,” Chandan said.

He said campus dominance is driven by both political and material interests, including tenders and the distribution of money at universities and other educational institutions.

Chandan said clashes over the past two days showed old disputes returning in a new form. He also linked the violence to what he described as the criminalization of politics and broader social decay, saying the clashes were a reflection of those conditions.