The official time to campaign for the upcoming Dhaka University Central Students Union (Ducsu) elections has begun.
The Dhaka University campus was lively on Monday with candidates handing out fliers and speaking to voters at every corner.
Candidates started their campaigns as soon as a briefing by Vice Chancellor Dr Akhteruzzaman ended in the morning.
The Bangla Tribune saw campaigning underway at the arts faculty, business faculty, Oporajeyo Bangla, Hakim Chattar, Modhur Canteen, Central Library and other areas.
However, Ducsu candidates for ruling party-aligned Chhatra League were not seen on the campaign trail. Their supporters were distributing fliers on their behalf. Their opposition Chhatra Dal has started campaigning, but they have no fliers in hand.
Quota movement leaders campaign for their panel at Dhaka University campus on Monday; March 04, 2019 | Dhaka Tribune
Candidates of the Progressive Students Alliance-backed Left Alliance Panel, led by their Ducsu vice-president candidate and Bangladesh Students Union President, Liton Nandi, were seen campaigning around the arts faculty, central library, and TSC area.
Bangladesh Sadharan Chhatra Adhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad, the group that organized the government job quota reform movement last year, is campaigning under their leader and VP candidate, Nurul Haque.
Bangladesh Students Federation-backed VP candidate, Umme Habiba Benazir, has distributed fliers on campus.
In his campaign, Liton Nandi promised students he would work to create “a campus of self-respect.” He urged students to think of the candidates as “friends, not masters,” and sought votes for the Liton-Faisal-Sadiq panel.
Independent Alliance, Swadhikar Swatantra Parishad, and Chhatra Moitree panels as well as independent candidates, also campaigned on Monday.
VP candidate Nurul Haque said: “We followed the code of conduct and began our campaign today. Many student organizations began campaigning long ago. We do not know how long we will be able to campaign freely, and we are still concerned.”
Bangladesh Students Union President, Liton Nandi campaigns for his panel at Dhaka University campus on Monday; March 04, 2019 | Dhaka TribuneChhatra Dal accused the university administration of bias. Asked why they were campaigning without any fliers, VP candidate Mostafizur Rahman said: “The university administration and the Election Commission did not issue us our ballot number, with the intention of giving Chhatra League an edge.
“They have been campaigning in many places long before the official campaign period began. But we have been unable to print our fliers.”
There are 229 candidates against the 25 positions in Ducsu. Of them, 21 are VP candidates, 14 general secretary candidates, 13 assistant general secretary candidates, 11 Liberation War affairs secretary candidates, nine science and technology secretary candidates, 9 common room and cafeteria secretary candidates, 11 international affairs secretary candidates, eight literary affairs secretary candidates, 12 cultural affairs secretary candidates, 11 sports secretary candidates, 10 student transport secretary candidates, 14 social welfare secretary candidates, and 86 candidates for general member positions.