DU braces for fierce DUCSU battle
Abu Jakir :
The long-awaited Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election has ignited a wave of activity across the campus, with eight student panels preparing to contest leadership in what promises to be a closely fought vote.
Scheduled for 9 September, the polls will mark the first DUCSU election in six years and will be held alongside hall union elections, transforming the university into a hub of campaign activity, with posters, slogans, and rallies spread across residential halls.
According to Chief Returning Officer Professor Mohammad Jasim Uddin, 509 nomination papers have been submitted for the 28 DUCSU posts. Of the 658 forms originally collected by students, 149 were left unused. “Today (Wednesday) was the final day for submissions.
Verification will begin tomorrow, and a draft list of candidates will be published according to schedule,” Professor Jasim Uddin said during a briefing at Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building.
He was joined by fellow returning officers Professors Kazi Maruful Islam, S.M. Shamim Reza, Golam Rabbani, Nasrin Sultana, and Associate Professor Sharmin Kabir.
Among the panels, the newly formed Bangladesh Democratic Students’ Council has unveiled its “Anti-Discrimination Student Parliament,” led by vice-presidential candidate Abdul Kader, with Abu Bakr Mojumdar and Ashrefa Khatun contesting the general secretary and assistant general secretary posts, respectively. The announcement was made in front of the university’s central library, with Shahidul Islam Bhuiyan, father of slain protester Farhan Faiyaz, presenting the nominees.
Islamic Chhatra Shibir, the first to declare a full panel, has drawn attention for including four women candidates, a student injured during the July protests, and a representative from a minority ethnic community, signalling a shift towards broader representation. Other groups, including the left-wing Resistance Council, Chhatra Adhikar Parishad’s “DUCSU for Change,” Islami Chhatra Andolan’s “Conscious Students’ Union,” and independent alliances led by Umama Fatema and Mahin Sarkar, are finalising their slates. The Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) also announced its panel on Wednesday, nominating Abidul Islam Khan for vice president, Shaikh Tanvir Baree Hamim for general secretary, and Thanbir Al Hadi Mayed for assistant general secretary. The party has chosen not to field a candidate for the Research and Publications Secretary post in honour of Sanzida Ahmed Tonni, a student injured during the quota reform movement.
Election fever is palpable on campus. Posters cover walls, campaign rallies fill halls, and candidates traverse dormitories in grassroots outreach. Social media has become a key platform for promoting manifestos, photos, and video messages. Many candidates are also consulting students informally before finalising their pledges.
Students have expressed a desire to vote based on merit rather than panel loyalty. “We won’t back opportunists who only appear during elections,” said third-year student Arifur Rahman.
“Our votes will go to those who led during the July movement and have maintained integrity since.” Asiya Khatun, another student, added: “We’ll vote for competent individuals, whoever they may be, provided they commit to making student politics truly student-focused.”
The election schedule sets 20 August for scrutiny of nomination papers, with a preliminary list of candidates to be published on 21 August. The withdrawal deadline is noon on 24 August, and the final list will be announced on 25 August at 4 p.m.
For the first time in DU history, polling will be conducted not only in residential halls but also at six external centres to accommodate the large electorate. The final voter list, already published, includes 39,775 students – 20,871 male and 18,902 female – eligible to vote for both DUCSU and hall union representatives.
With eight panels in contention and widespread enthusiasm among students, the upcoming DUCSU election is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in recent years.