A peaceful DUCSU election expected

Today, 9 September, the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election is going to be held. Voting will start at 8am and continue until 3pm. If everything goes smoothly, the results will be known by this evening. It will be clear who will become the 38th Vice President (VP) and General Secretary (GS) of Dhaka University. In its more than 100 years of history, Dhaka University has played a significant role in the politics and culture of the country, and the Central Students’ Union of Dhaka University has also played an important role. That is why DUCSU is called the second parliament. DUCSU provided important leadership in the Language Movement, the Six-Point Programme, the mass uprising of 1969, and the anti-autocracy movement of the 1990s.

The formal campaign for the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) and hall union elections ended yesterday, Sunday. The campaign began on 26 August. Over the past 13 days, the campaign has gone on peacefully and festively. During this period, there have been no major allegations of violating the code of conduct. In their manifestos, candidates have made various pledges to solve students’ problems. They have also promised to always stand by the students. Teachers and students have expressed their expectation that the atmosphere of friendship and harmony surrounding the DUCSU and hall union elections will be maintained from voting to the announcement of results.

According to reports published in the media on Monday (8 September), on the final day of campaigning, the Chhatra Dal panel held an oath-taking ceremony at the Bat Tala of the university in the afternoon. Contesting candidates of Chhatra Dal for 28 posts of DUCSU were present there. With them were the organisation’s candidates contesting 18 hall union elections. Altogether, 205 candidates of Chhatra Dal took oaths on eight points. The oath was administered by Chhatra Dal’s VP candidate Abidul Islam Khan. Chhatra Dal candidates pledged that if elected to DUCSU, they would maintain political etiquette and mutual respect, and reflect democratic attitudes in their behaviour with political opponents. In the first point of the oath it was said that the detestable “gonoroom” practice, “guestroom” torture, forced participation in political programmes, and persecution for dissenting views that had grown under fascist regimes would never again be allowed to return to the campus at any cost.

Around this year’s DUCSU election, there is one major expectation among students, teachers and those concerned with the education sector across the country—to restore the glory of Dhaka University. To rebuild the university as a true university. At a discussion organised by the University Teachers’ Network, Mahmudur Rahman Manna, convener of Nagorik Oikya and former DUCSU VP, said that he wants to see Dhaka University again as the Oxford of the East.

Some unpleasant incidents have already taken place around the DUCSU election. A female candidate has been threatened with rape. Various forms of cyber bullying are going on. However, a taskn force has been formed to prevent any anarchy. For that reason, like the students, we too expect a peaceful DUCSU election. This year’s DUCSU election will have a wide impact on the future of Bangladesh and the upcoming national elections. After the mass uprising, a new trend of politics has been continuing in Bangladesh. Through this year’s DUCSU election, it will be understood how far our journey on the path of light—upholding the ideals of the Liberation War and moving beyond the politics of subservience—will continue.