Bangladesh society is sharply divided on issues related to Shibir - one of the biggest student organisations of the country. While some people are reluctant of accept even the existence of the organisation and they allege that it is not supportive to the democratic system, others consider it as a key player in creating democratic environment and spreading moral values. The allegations and claims need to be analysed in the backdrop of the political context of Bangladesh. This has become very important due to the political reform initiatives taken by the Caretaker Government.

Shibir started its activities in 1977 and was able to gain support of huge number of students within less than 10 years and became one of the major three student organisations. It focused on discriminating religious, social and moral values, working for establishing a democratic and corruption free society and helping in student movements targeted for their welfare. It is one of the most documented organisations in Bangladesh and one of the very few who practices intra-party democracy. It claims to be a knowledge-based organisation which takes special effort to make its activists scientific-minded and intellectually enriched. It establishes a curriculum which must be read by all activists in order to progress in organisation hierarchy. It publishes book series on science and English language in order to contribute to the education of its activists. It organises book-reading and debate competitions to help grow the reading habit and logical reasoning among students. This is quite rare among the student organisations in Bangladesh. Student leaders in the country are abundantly found involved in anti-social activities like hijacking and rape. One of the top leaders of Bangladesh Chhatra League, student wing of Awami League, publicly celebrated his rape century in Jahangirnagar University. It was a great shame for the nation as all of his rape victims were students of that university. The then government not only refrained from taking any action againsts him, he was later given special reward by the then primer minister Sheikh Hasina. Leaders of Chhatra Dal and Chhatra League are often caught by the law enforcing agencies red handed while performing crimes like hijacking. Thousands of them are now thrown behind the bars by the Caretaker Government in crime charges.

Opponents allege that although Shibir practices intra-party democracy it is not tolerant of other parties and organisations. The allegation can easily be examined by exploring its attitude towards other organisations and that of those organisation towards it. Chittagong and Rajshahi universities are known to be two strongholds of Shibir. On the other hand, it is in weaker position in Dhaka University. Surprisingly, it does not impose any sort of ban or restriction on the activities of its competitors in Chittaging and Rajshahi Universities. All student organisations including the leftist who still have links with outlawed underground extremists perform their activities freely. However, its opponents imposed a ban on its activities in Dhaka University and it is not allowed to carry out its activities there. Its supports regularly come under physical assault by its opponent in Dhaka University campus. Many people consider it as mysterious as Shibir has been jointly involved in movements for democracy, caretaker system and other national issues with the orgsanisations which bans it in Dhaka University campus. Its opponents also allege that it does not tolerate open thinkers. There has been incidents where it criticised some intellectuals for writing against Bangladesh and Islam. However, those criticisms did not cross the limit of politeness and did not content any element of threat. On the other hand, it is very common in Bangladesh politics to issues highly assertive and threatening statements against politicians and intellectuals of other parties and ideology. Top leaders of Awami League even threatened to put the whole country on fire and disconnect water, gas and even oxygen for the President. Shibir, in reality, is found trying its best to honour and glorify Bangladeshi intellectuals. After Dr. Mohammad Younus, the only Nobel Laureate of Bangladesh, won the Nobel prize despite, it rushed to place floral wreath to him. Surprisingly other main student organisations did not even issue a statement congratulating him! They boycotted a function at Dhaka University where he was a guest. Shibir and its parent organisation Jamaat received widespread approval and recognition from the western diplomats for its democratic character. Former US Ambassador to Bangladesh Harry K. Thomas openly declared Jamaat as a model democratic organisation in Bangladesh.

Opponents also allege Shibir of having links with militants. The basis of the allegation was that some of the activists of outlawed JMB were former Shibir activists and their relatives. There are three aspects of it. Firstly, switching parties is very common in Bangladesh and for a very large organisation like it with millions of activists, it is usual that some of its activists drops out and joins other organisations. Former Shibir activists are also found in other political parties including the leftist ones. Secondly, former Shibir activists found involved with militant activities had all been expelled from the party for not complying with its code of conducts. It implies that Shibir does not tolerate any idea leading to militancy. Thirdly, no leader or activist of Shibir was found linked with any militant activities in last one decade by the law enforcing agencies. Neither the former Awami League government nor the present Caretaker Government has filed a single case against a single leader of the organisation for assisting militancy.

The question then comes that if Shibir has no links with militants, if it is a model of democratic and knowledge based organisation and if it has institutionalised democracy, then why other political parties and a quarter of media are so hostile against it? Political analysts identify the following reasons for the hostility of some politicians and media:

1. In the last two decades politics and crime has become synonymous in Bangladesh. The recent anti-corruption drive by the Caretaker Government supported by the army and western countries has revealed the actual picture of Bangladesh politics. A large number of political leaders, including three former home ministers are now behind the bars. One confessed of taking 200 million Taka as bribe for freeing a murderer. Almost all of the arrested politicians have confessed about their corruption. They also provided information of how top leaders of two major parties looted public money and sent them outside the country. The General Secretary of Awami League cofessed that he used to take monthly bribes from businessmen and Sheikh Hasina used to sell election nominations in exchange of huge amount of money. The army chief disclosed that majority of foreign loan in electricity sector was eaten by corrupt politicians. It is not unusual that these corrupt politicians will not like the existence of a large, well disciplined and fast growing organisation which not only advocates for a corruption free society, but also institutionalise moral values. Three of the four major parties made politics the family business of the top leaders. Shibir was also an indirect threat to it as it provided a potential alternative to the nation. Those politicians were afraid that if it is allowed to carry out is activities freely, people will soon reject the corrupt politicians.

2. Unfortunately, Bangladesh print and electronic media is largely owned by corrupt politicians and businessmen. Owners of four private TV channels and three major newspapers have been thrown to jail by the Caretaker Government on corruption charges. They are unlikely to tolerate Shibir.

3. Most of the media houses in Bangladesh are controlled by former leftist extremists. They consider anything related to Islamic values their enemies.

Bangladesh has got an opportunity to work for establishing a corruption free and democratic society in its history. Shibir can be used as a model in this regard.