The upcoming Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) election has created intense excitement both on campus and beyond. Campaigns are no longer confined to Dhaka University; local leaders and supporters are reaching out to students in towns and villages, visiting their homes or calling them directly to seek votes.
Since the announcement of the election schedule, local leaders have been visiting the homes of Dhaka University students to seek votes. While this practice is not entirely new, this time it has gone further.
Reports suggest that they are actively working in support of candidates backed by the student wings, Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal and Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir. Students allege they are receiving phone calls urging them to vote, being asked to meet in Dhaka, and in some cases, even being pressured or offered incentives in exchange for their support.
On Saturday, several Dhaka University students took to social media to express concern over growing pressure related to the Ducsu election.
Independent candidate for Ducsu social service secretary, AB Zubair, said he received a phone call from the Barisal district BNP secretary, who urged him to vote for the Chhatra Dal panel. “I firmly rejected the pressure,” he said.
Niyon Moni, a student of French Language and Culture at Dhaka University, also shared her experience in a social media post. She wrote that in the morning, a local BNP leader had called her, pressuring her to vote for Chhatra Dal and even mentioning plans to meet all DU students from their upazila before Tuesday to ensure support for the panel.
She argued that every DU student has the right to decide freely whom to vote for. Leaders may request, but they cannot impose their choice or dictate votes on students.
Addressing Chhatra Dal members, she said she would consider voting for them if her concerns were answered clearly. However, she warned that continuous phone calls from senior party leaders to female students, demanding support for the full panel, damage Chhatra Dal’s image and raise serious safety concerns.
Wasimul Islam Shatil, a student of Islamic Studies at Dhaka University, shared his experience in a Facebook post.
“My morning started with an unwanted call. An unknown number rang, and after I answered, the caller tried to convince me not to vote for anyone other than the Shibir panel. After listening for a while, I hung up,” he wrote.
Speaking further, he said that Ducsu is supposed to be a student council, but it is surprising to see BNP, Jamaat, NCP, and their affiliated groups working so aggressively through their student wings.
“Ducsu is just a part of student politics. Do they really think their phone calls will influence students? DU students today are quite independent-minded. In fact, such activities only damage the image of those panels,” he added.
In a Facebook post, Sabrina Jahan, a student of World Religions and Culture at Dhaka University, expressed her frustration. Without naming any specific group.
She wrote: “Elections are held at Dhaka University, but district-level political leaders keep calling to ask for votes. What is this nonsense? My question is, how do these people even get our personal numbers? This is a violation of my privacy.”
She added: “I will not allow just anyone to call me on my personal number, especially when they already know all my details. Because of this behavior, you will lose many votes as students are getting annoyed. I urge you to practice healthy politics.”
Law student Samia Akter from Chandpur wrote on Facebook that the district BNP president had personally called her, asking her to vote for the Chhatra Dal panel.
She questioned how he obtained her phone number and whether a district BNP leader had the authority to “command” votes in a student election. Samia also feared that she might face threats for making the issue public.
In this situation, students have shown mixed reactions, expressing both positive and negative opinions. They are also concerned about their privacy.
Mohammad Riyaz from Dinajpur said: “This process may have a negative influence on villagers. If student elections are influenced by political parties, it will take the wrong shape.”
A female student from the Department of Oceanography said: “This poses a serious safety risk, especially for female students. There is growing concern over our personal phone numbers being shared, and several us have already expressed our worries about this.”
Sharika Haque Mumu of Pabna said she viewed the situation positively. She felt encouraged by the strong interest from grassroots leaders in a university election and noted that Ducsu seemed important not only for students but for the whole nation.
She mentioned that locally, she had been approached by both Chhatra Dal and Shibir.
Mehedi Iqbal Mahi from Comilla said: “Since student organizations spread politics from Dhaka University, every unit shows great interest. This is the first fair election in a decade, and because it is happening at DU, all political parties are eager to show their strength.”
He added: “Even in our area, party members are coming to homes to ask for votes. People’s interest in Ducsu reflects hope and trust in Dhaka University.”
On Saturday, a video went viral on social media where Imtiaz Ali Sujon introduced himself as the member secretary of Rupsha North Upazila Chhatra Dal and was heard calling a voter about supporting the Abid-Hamim-Mayed panel in the Ducsu election. The video quickly drew attention from the central leadership of Chhatra Dal.
In this case, the central committee of Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal issued a statement expelling Imtiaz Ali Sujon from his post, citing that he had sought votes for Ducsu candidates without any organizational directive, thereby harming the party’s image and breaking internal rules.
Another video has gone viral on social media showing Al-Amin, convener of Begum Rokeya University (BRUR) Chhatra Dal and leader of the Rangpur District Volunteer Group, campaigning for votes in the Ducsu election.
In the video, he is seen visiting the home of a student named Monowar from Dhaka University, accompanied by his supporters, to seek votes.
Upon arriving, Al-Amin called the student to speak with his grandmother. During the conversation, Monowar’s grandmother can be heard saying: “Oh dear, just vote as he says. Your master is here, he is asking-give him the vote.”
Meanwhile, Tanvir Bari Hamim, the Chhatra Dal-nominated candidate for General Secretary, posted on Facebook Saturday night, asking BNP leaders and workers not to seek votes on his behalf.
However, there has been no statement from Shibir or their supported panel regarding vote-seeking by Jamaat leaders.