After a six-year hiatus, the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) election is set to be held on September 9, marking an end to a lengthy wait.
The election schedule was officially announced by Ducsu Chief Election Commissioner Prof Mohammad Zashim Uddin on Tuesday, at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building.
This highly anticipated election is seen as a pivotal body for student governance, taking place amid an interim government period and with high expectations for addressing long-standing structural challenges.
Voting will occur at six neutral locations across the university campus to enhance transparency and reduce allegations of manipulation.
There is cautious optimism among most student organizations, as they are concerned about some issues and view this election, especially under the interim government, as a historic chance to build more transparent and participatory student governance.
Election timeline
The Ducsu Election Commission has laid out a detailed schedule leading up to the voting day.
The draft voter list is slated for publication on Wednesday, with objections regarding errors in the voter list accepted until August 6.
The final voter list will be published on August 11.
For the nomination process, nomination papers can be collected from 10am to 4pm between August 12 and August 18.
The deadline for submitting nomination papers is 3pm on August 19, and these papers will be scrutinized on August 20.
The final date for withdrawing nomination papers is 1pm on August 25.
Moving to candidate lists, the preliminary list of candidates will be published at 1pm on August 21, and the final list of candidates will be announced at 4pm on August 26.
Voting will take place on September 9, from 8am to 3pm.
Vote counting will commence immediately after polling closes, with hall union results announced at their respective centers, while the Ducsu results will be declared at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building.
This election introduces significant changes. There will be a total of 28 contested positions, an increase from the 25 positions in the last Ducsu election in 2019.
A major departure from tradition is that voting centers will be established outside residential halls for the first time.
Voting centres
Voting centres include the Curzon Hall center (examination hall) for students from Dr Muhammad Shahidullah Hall, Amar Ekushey Hall, and Fazlul Huq Muslim Hall; the Physical Education Center for students from Jagannath Hall, Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Haq Hall, and Salimullah Muslim Hall; and the Teacher-Student Center (TSC) for students from Ruqayyah Hall, Shamsun Nahar Hall, and Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall.
The Dhaka University Club center will be for students from Bangladesh-Kuwait Friendship Hall and Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall; the Senate Building center (alumni floor, seminar room, dining room) for students from Sir AF Rahman Hall, Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall, and Bijoy Ekattor Hall; and the Udayan School and College center for students from Surja Sen Hall, Muktijoddha Ziaur Rahman Hall, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall, and Kabi Jasimuddin Hall.
Only valid Dhaka University students will be eligible to vote.
Additional changes
Prof Mohammad Zashim Uddin had clarified at an earlier meeting that anyone enrolled and a legitimate student can vote.
The university authorities have recently announced the suspension of 128 Chhatra League leaders and activists accused of violence during the July uprising, making them ineligible for the upcoming election.
The Chhatra League is banned, with many top leaders either detained or in exile.
Legal proceedings are also underway against over 300 more Chhatra League.
Consequently, the upcoming Ducsu election is expected to proceed without their direct participation.
Furthermore, students from the 2018-2019 academic session whose master's results have already been published are not eligible to vote or stand as candidates.
Historical significance and current context
Historically, Ducsu is often referred to as the "second parliament of Bangladesh," having been central to the Language Movement, the 1970s pro-independence movement, and the 1971 Liberation War, and serving as a breeding ground for many of the nation’s future political leaders.
Prof Mohammad Zashim Uddin had earlier told Dhaka Tribune that approximately 1,365 leaders emerged from seven post-independence elections and 4,720 from 14 elections during the Pakistan era, lamenting that 27 elections could have occurred by now if authorities had the will.
Despite this profound legacy, the path to the Ducsu elections remains "riddled with obstacles.”
A primary controversy in this election is the vice-chancellor’s continued role as the ex-officio president of Ducsu, a position opposed by nearly all active student organizations and despite widespread demands for direct election of the president.
There are significant concerns about the lingering influence and continued presence of former Chhatra League members in dormitories, with student leaders warning that their unrestricted movement could hinder a fair environment and potentially cause political disturbances, damaging student unity.
Some said the "lasting trauma of Chhatra League oppression" also continues to shape student perceptions of politics.
Additionally, some student organizations, like the DU chapter of the Bangladesh Democratic Students' Council (BDSC), expressed a lack of trust in the administration not too long ago due to the administration's past actions, while DU Bangladesh Students' Union (BSU - one of its factions) raised alarms about external interference, citing state agencies' continued interest despite the interim government.
Last Ducsu election
The last Ducsu election took place in March 2019, after nearly two decades.
Candidates from the then-ruling Awami League’s student wing, Chhatra League, won almost all positions, with the notable exceptions of the vice president (Nurul Haque Nur, now president of the Gono Odhikar Parishad) and welfare secretary (Akhtar Hossain, current NCP member secretary), along with a few other posts.
While some praised the then vice-chancellor, Dr Akhtaruzzaman, for finally holding the election, the process was widely criticized due to Chhatra League dominance at polling centers and a delayed result announcement.
This upcoming election, without direct Chhatra League, is anticipated to see candidates from BNP-backed Chhatra Dal, Jamaat-backed Shibir, NCP-backed BDSC, and other left-leaning parties.