With the DUCSU polls just days away, students are closely watching candidates and their visions for the campus. Among them is Jahed Ahmad, a Sociology student from the 2017–18 session, contesting for Assistant General Secretary (AGS) from the Independent Students’ Unity panel.
Having lived through the struggles of general rooms and campus crises, Jahed frames his campaign around basic student needs—seat allocation, nutritious food, and a non-partisan academic space. As part of Gonotaar’s special series “DUCSU Unfiltered: 3 Questions with a Candidate,” we asked him about his priorities and promises.
1️⃣ What is your plan to permanently solve the crisis of Gono-rooms, guest rooms, and seat shortages?
Jahed Ahmad:
“Documentation and memory-writing are essential to show how deeply this crisis has scarred us. Alongside that, ensuring a non-partisan administration and identifying seat scarcity as one of the prime bases of campus factionalism is key. We must also work toward economic security, so students are no longer forced into desperation for seats.
I myself lived in gono-rooms for nearly four years. I’ve faced the lack of nutritious food, the financial insecurity, and the systemic neglect that push students into dependency on political groups. My primary manifesto is a strong stance against these crises.”
2️⃣ Why should general students vote for you and support your leadership?
Jahed Ahmad:
“My record speaks for itself. From anti-rape and anti-border killing movements to working with cultural initiatives like Roshik, and later as an organizer of Gurubar Adda during the July Uprising, I’ve consistently stood for justice and solidarity. I also helped mobilize global support for the July movement by engaging with the diaspora community.
After the uprising, I co-organized dialogues among existing student organizations under Social Science in Praxis on the future of student politics. These initiatives, I believe, will inspire trust.
Most importantly, I have no interest in parliamentary politics. This is my firm position. I will not turn DUCSU into a ladder to enter national politics. Students should vote for me because I am committed to an academic, non-partisan campus free from factionalism.”
3️⃣ How do you plan to reduce factionalism and political clashes among students?
Jahed Ahmad:
“The first step is to ensure a non-partisan administration and academia. Only then can students develop as a genuine political community rather than fragmented client groups.
We need to academically explore all dimensions of factionalism and build an intellectual foundation against it. At the same time, we must create a dialogue space that brings together every representative voice. That is how we can transform conflict into collective growth.”
