Leadership Forged in Action: From Class Coordinator to Movement Builder

By Shaheed Osman Hadi | From his autobiographical reflections

Elected at Age Nine

I was elected Class Coordinator in Class Four. Not appointed. Elected. By my peers, through a democratic process that taught me more about leadership than any textbook ever could.

At Nesarabad Madrasa, we didn’t just learn about democracy. We practiced it. Every class was a “Unit” with its own elected leadership structure:

• Class Coordinator — the leader
• Assistant Coordinator — the deputy
• Finance Coordinator — managing class resources
• Reporter — evaluating and reporting on cultural performances

This was not play-acting. This was real responsibility. Real accountability. Real leadership.

The Student Union: Training Ground for Revolution

Nesarabad had a fully functional student union with direct elections for VP, GS, and AGS. Over 5,000 students participated in democratic processes that would shape our understanding of organization and collective action.

What did we learn?

1. Campaigning — How to articulate a vision and persuade others
2. Coalition building — How to unite diverse interests
3. Accountability — How to answer to those who elected you
4. Organization — How to mobilize people for common purpose

These skills would later fuel movements that shook the nation.

Breaking the “Hujur” Stereotype

When I went to Dhaka after SSC for English coaching at Saifur’s, I competed in a debate competition across all branches. Students from Viqarunnisa, Notre Dame, Holy Cross — the elite institutions of Bangladesh.

I was the only “hujur” there. White jubba. Tupi. The uniform of the madrasa.

They expected me to be limited. Narrow. Out of my depth.

My team won. I was named Best Speaker.

This was not about personal achievement. This was about proving that a madrasa education, done right, produces complete human beings — leaders who can compete on any stage, in any arena.

The DU Quota Protest: Organization Meets Action

Years later, I would help organize the Dhaka University quota reform movement. The skills learned at Nesarabad — mobilizing, coordinating, communicating — proved invaluable.

Leadership is not about titles. It is about the ability to:

• See clearly what needs to be done
• Articulate a vision that inspires others
• Organize collective action
• Take responsibility for outcomes

These are muscles that must be trained. And the best training is practice — from childhood, in real organizations with real stakes.

The Lesson for Bangladesh

Our education system produces exam-passers, not leaders. Students who can memorize and regurgitate, but cannot organize, cannot inspire, cannot lead.

What if every school had:

• Genuine student governance with real power?
• Democratic elections for student leadership?
• Opportunities for public speaking, debate, and cultural performance?
• Space for students to organize, fail, learn, and grow?

We would produce citizens. Leaders. Movement builders. The kind of people Bangladesh desperately needs.

Leadership is Not Born, It is Built

I was not born a leader. I was trained to be one — by a madrasa that understood education as complete human development, not just academic achievement.

The institutions that shaped me are proof that we can do better. That our educational system can produce leaders if we design it to.

The question is: do we have the will to build such institutions across Bangladesh?

“Nesarabad amake shekhaiche — leadership, organization, confidence. Eitai madrasa’r shiksha houa uchit.”

Nesarabad taught me leadership, organization, confidence. This is what madrasa education should be.

— Shaheed Osman Hadi