DUCSU Election: No security concerns on polling day

DU Correspondent :

There have been concerns among students about security since the announcement of the 2025 ‘Dhaka University Central Students Union’ (DUCSU) election schedule. However, no major security crisis has arisen so far, and analysts believe that those concerned are trying to address all types of security crises during the election, considering the overall situation in the country.

The election will be held on Tuesday and a notification sent by the university’s public relations office on September 4 said that the entrances to Dhaka University will be closed to the public from 8 pm on Monday to 6 am on Wednesday. However, students, teachers and officials with valid university ID cards will be able to enter.

The notification stated that family members of teachers, officers and employees will be able to enter the campus by showing a photocopy of their respective teachers, officers and employees’ identity cards, and no other vehicles will be able to enter the campus except vehicles with Dhaka University stickers and vehicles engaged in emergency services (ambulances, doctors, patients, law enforcement, journalists and fire service vehicles).

All students, teachers, and officials and employees of the university are requested to carry their identity cards with them during that time, and even family members of teachers, officials, and employees who are not working at the university or are not students of the university will have to collect security passes from the proctor’s office if they want to come and go on campus for urgent needs, the notice said.

Returning Officer Professor Dr. Golam Rabbani spoke about 3-tier security on election day in a meeting held with candidates on the campaign and security issues of the DUCSU elections on August 26. He said the proctorial body and police would be stationed at the polling stations and the army would be present at the seven entrances of the campus, however, the army later announced its inability to perform this duty.

A notification issued by the Chief Returning Officer’s office on September 2 stated that the hall was given to external students, as a result of which there are currently no external students on campus.

At a meeting of returning officers on September 26, it was decided that the Dhaka University Metro Station will be closed from the afternoon of the 8th September to the entire day of the 9th and as a result of which outsiders would not be able to enter the campus even via the Metro Rail.

Analysts believe that almost every important place on the campus is covered by CCTV cameras and that with a large number of journalists and detective officers on campus, it will be difficult for anything to happen at any time.

Mamun Orr Rashid, a Student of Surja Sen hall (2018-19 session) said.
“There have been conspiracies regarding the DUCSU elections from the beginning, but they have not been successful and they will not be successful on the election day either.
“The administration has taken sufficient security measures, I hope they will be effective,” said Mamun.
Mohiuddin Khan, AGS candidate of the shibir backed panel and General Secretary of DU shibir, said The New Nation, “We are not worried about security issues so far and the election can be conducted smoothly in the current situation.”
“If anyone wants to create chaos, the students will all come together to resist them,” said Mohiuddin.
Professor Dr. Mohammad Jashim Uddin, Chief Returning Officer of the 2025 DUCSU election and Hall Union Election, said The New Nation, “There is no security concern on the day of the DUCSU election and The election will be fair, Inshaallah.”