The Dhaka University proctor has announced that the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) election is likely to be held at the end of January or in mid-February.
The DU administration wanted to hold the election as early as possible, Proctor Saifuddin Ahmed told the media during a press briefing at his office on Sunday.
“It becomes challenging for the administration to operate without student representatives since we need to communicate with them regularly. Ducsu is the only formal platform through which students can send their legitimate representatives to various administrative bodies,” he added.
Talking about preparations for the election, the proctor said a committee led by Justice (Retd) Mohammad Abdul Matin had been formed to assess the nature and scope of political activities on the DU campus.
“Ducsu falls under their mandate. We have urged them to complete their work swiftly. Once their task is done, it will be easier for us to make a decision.” Saifuddin said.
He added that the committee would hold discussions with various student organizations and other stakeholders to provide a guideline for the election.
On the matter of security during the election, the proctor said students were quite aware of security concerns, adding that the administration would continue to support them.
The university chancellor serves as the president of Ducsu, while other positions are held by student representatives.
In a historic upset during the last Ducsu election in March 2019, Nurul Haque Nur, a key figure in 2018’s quota reform protests, won the vice president post, defeating Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury Shovon, then-president of the Chhatra League.
Golam Rabbani, then-general secretary of the Chhatra League, won the post of Ducsu general secretary while the organization’s Saddam Hussain secured the assistant general secretary position.