Ducsu elections SC clears legal hurdle
Staff Reporter :
The Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) and hall union elections will be held on 9 September as planned, following a Supreme Court ruling that removed all legal obstacles.
On Tuesday (3 September), a full bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, upheld an earlier Chamber Court order staying the High Court’s directive to defer the polls until 30 October.
The High Court had issued its postponement order on 1 September, acting on a writ petition filed by BM Fahmida Alam, a candidate from a left-leaning student alliance.
She challenged the candidacy of SM Farhad, general secretary candidate from the Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed panel, alleging his links with the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League.
In its ruling, the High Court instructed Dhaka University to investigate the allegation and submit a report by 21 October.
However, within 40 minutes of that order, DU counsel Advocate Mohammad Shishir Monir lodged an appeal.
The Chamber Court promptly stayed the postponement, a decision now affirmed by the full Appellate Bench.
Speaking to reporters after the verdict, Monir said, “The Appellate Division has made it clear that the election can proceed on schedule.
There is no longer any legal bar to holding the Ducsu polls in a festive and credible atmosphere.”
He further argued that the writ petition was filed with “malafide intention” and based on “wrong information,” noting that no objections had been raised during the publication of the final candidate list on 26 August.
Monir also confirmed that SM Farhad remains eligible to contest for the general secretary post from the Oikkoboddho Shikkharthi Jote panel.
According to the Ducsu Election Commission, a total of 462 candidates will vie for 28 posts, including vice president, general secretary, and assistant general secretary. Of them, 48 are running for vice president, 19 for general secretary, and 28 for assistant general secretary.
The final voter roll lists 39,775 registered students, comprising 20,873 males and 18,902 females.
With the legal uncertainty now resolved, the long-awaited Ducsu and hall union elections are set to take place in what observers expect to be a charged yet celebratory environment on campus.