The name Abdul Kader has long been familiar on Dhaka University’s campus. Before his candidacy for Vice President in the upcoming DUCSU election, he was already tested by the streets, the jail cells, and the crackdowns that defined a generation of student resistance.
Kader’s political journey did not begin with this election. It began years ago, when he and fellow students organized demonstrations against injustice — most notably after the killing of Abrar Fahad. For that stand, Kader was beaten, arrested, and forced into jail for 32 days, missing his exams while carrying the label of a political agitator. What could have silenced many only pushed him further into the struggle.
Then came the July Uprising of 2024. At a time when fear gripped the campus, Kader stepped into history as one of the architects of the “Nine-Point Declaration.” While others stayed underground, he kept moving, carrying messages, drafting demands, and giving the student movement its backbone. His role in bridging the scattered protests into a collective front left a mark that students across the country still recall.
But his story didn’t end there. After July, Kader did not drift into national politics or disappear behind closed doors. He returned to the campus, focusing on daily issues — from curbing discrimination to resisting the return of guestroom culture, to simply ensuring that students’ voices would not be sidelined again. His activism was no longer just about confrontation; it was also about building.
Today, as the convener of BAGCHAS Dhaka University unit and VP candidate under the “Bôishommobirodhi Shikkharthi Songshod” panel, Kader frames his candidacy as an extension of that struggle: a call for accountable leadership, for a democratic DUCSU that does not become another token institution.
For his supporters, Kader embodies the bridge between past and present — the student who dared in the streets, who endured repression, and who now seeks to channel that same grit into elected representation. For his critics, questions remain: can a figure shaped by protest also lead in governance?
What is certain is that Abdul Kader’s name on the ballot carries with it a story far larger than one election. On September 9, students will decide whether that story continues inside DUCSU.
