DUCSU election: Chhatra Union, Chhatra Dal want reforms first

Dhaka University (DU) administration is moving forward with the aim of arranging Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) election in the last week of next month. Ahead of the elections, general students, along with the members of several students organisations are worried about a fair environment while the leaders of Chhatra Dal and Chhatra union are against an election without reforms.

Students who have been protesting under the banner of general students demanding effective DUCSU say that the roadmap announced by the university authorities did not mention a specific deadline for the election. They see this as a ploy to delay DUCSU polls in the name of holding the national election first.

When a poll was organized on the university students' Facebook group demanding a quick DUCSU election, most students expressed their opinion in favour of the election by next May. On the other hand, the university administration also organized such a poll, but the results have not been published yet.

A student said that Eid-ul-Azha holiday will fall after this month. After that, they fear that the DUCSU election will be thwarted on the pretext of the political situation in the country surrounding the national election.

According to him, the university authorities should be free from all political influence and end the DUCSU deadlock by holding elections before Eid, that is what the general students want.

The Gonotantrik Chhatra Sangsad, which was formed after the mass movement of the students, has also been raising concerns about DUCSU. While Shibir has raised questions about the sincerity of the university administration, the Gonotantrik Chhatra Sangsad has concerns about the Chhatra Dal.

Zahid Ahsan, member secretary of the organisation, said: "After the roadmap at Jahangirnagar University, the date and time for the announcement of the schedule were fixed. On the pre-scheduled day, the Chhatra Dal protested in front of the university's administrative building. As a result, the schedule could not be announced. Is the same incident happening in the case of Dhaka University? That raises questions in our minds."

Kazi Ashiq, organizing secretary of the Dhaka University Chhatra Shibir, said: "If the university authorities are sincere, the schedule can be announced within this timeline. And if it is postponed, it will be very sad. We want the election commission to be formed as soon as possible and the date of the athletic schedule to be announced."

Chhatra Dal and the Chhatra Union want DUCSU to be formed quickly, but more attention should be paid to reforms. The Chhatra Dal is also raising questions about the effective environment for the elections and they have doubts about the motives of the agitators under the banner of ordinary students.

However, the Chhatra Union claims that if the elections are held without reforms, ordinary students will face losses in the long run.

DU Chhatra Union General Secretary Main Ahmed said: "The university is moving towards elections without making basic reforms. Proper is a big word. When it comes to proper changes, many things in the entire constitution should be changed and given to the students. We don't know why they can't do that."

DU Chhatra Dal General Secretary Nahiduzzaman Shipon said: "They are using the banner of ordinary students in the same way that the Chhatra League used to use in the past to put pressure on them to implement some of their objectives. We do not think that the demands of ordinary students are like this. The demands of ordinary students are like this, which we hold."

'We think that first we need to ensure an effective environment for reform," he added.

The university authorities are moving towards DUCSU poll, thinking about the student organizations and ordinary students, said Proctor Professor Saifuddin Ahmed.

He said: "Our goal is to hold DUCSU elections in the last week of May based on consensus."

Saifuddin Ahmed said: "Only four percent of students think that there is no environment for DUCSU elections. The remaining 96 percent of students think that there is an environment. We did this to understand the opinion. And by understanding that opinion, I can say very strongly that DUCSU elections are very important. And our priority is the last week of May."