Paper short abstract:

This paper focuses on the links between student leaders and political parties to explain the wide governance powers of student groups on Bangladesh’ campuses. This paper offers an interesting discussion on the relations between non-state violent governance, political parties and state rule.

Paper long abstract:

Student politics in Bangladesh has a bad reputation. Student leaders are considered violent and predatory on other students and on teachers. At the same time, they are highly entrenched in political networks and are crucial organisers for political parties. Indeed, membership and leadership positions in student groups are crucial avenues to build up political careers and access the multi-tiered party-based patronage system. Student groups have build up considerable tools to govern campuses and their surrounding areas beyond the purview of the state; but it are exactly the links between the student leaders and political parties that make these governance activities viable. As such, there exists an intriguing mesh of non-state institutions, political party prerogatives and violent student politics on Bangladeshi's campuses. Through several vignettes, this paper reveal this opaque mesh and at the same time offer an interesting discussion on the relations between non-state violent governance, political parties and state rule.