A rift deepening within left-leaning student organisation Bangladesh Chhatra Union as two separate factions are gearing up for emergency national council on different dates in April and June.

Chhatra Union President Foez Ullah and General Secretary Dipok Shil in a statement yesterday urged all to take preparation for holding emergency council on June 4.

In the statement they urged all activists across the country to resist the move to destroy the unity of the student organisation.

They said that the decision of holding emergency council was taken at a central committee meeting held on March 27-28.

Meanwhile, a faction of Chhatra Union activists in a separate statement said that they have formed 10 sub-committees to hold the emergency council on April 12.

They formed the sub-committees at a meeting of the preparation committee of the emergency council. Preparation committee chairman Joy Roy said that several activities are taking place centring the 40th National Council session held in November last year.

"Unity among the organisation was destroyed for a brief period. We will restore it by holding the April 12 council,' Joy said.

Joy's faction on March 19 announced that the emergency council will be held on April 12.

Ragib Naeem, a leader of the faction who was expelled recently from the post of the organisation's DU general secretary, said, "The last council was held by disregarding due process. Since then we repeatedly demanded a council meeting but they didn't take any action so we fixed the date by following our constitution."

Chhatra Union general secretary Dipok Shil told The Daily Star that no decision has been taken to hold the council on April 12.

"If the council is held on that day, we fear a rift within the organisation." he said.

Meanwhile, Communist Party of Bangladesh (CPB) President Mujahidul Islam Selim said, "Chhatra Union is run by their own constitution. They should follow it, it's our advice to them."