New DUCSU, hall unions to hold first meeting on Mar 23 as protests continue

The new Dhaka University Central Students’ Union or DUCSU and the hall unions will meet for the first time on Mar 23 amidst protests for fresh elections.

The central and hall executive committees of the union elected on Mar 11 will hold the meetings at 11am on that day, Vice-Chancellor Md Akhtaruzzaman told bdnews24.com on Monday.

The central union will hold the meeting at the old senate auditorium and the hall unions at the halls, according to Akhtaruzzaman, who is also the ex-officio president of DUCSU.

The Provost Committee has taken the decision in a meeting, he said.

Earlier in the day, students who boycotted the elections for alleged vote rigging and other irregularities staged a sit-in outside the VC’s office demanding that the authorities hold fresh polls after removing those involved in the Mar 11 elections. 

The ruling Awami League’s student affiliate Bangladesh Chhatra League or BCL won 23 of the 25 posts in the DUCSU and most seats in the hall unions, except those in the female halls, in the elections.

The new DUCSU leaders met Sheikh Hasina on Saturday when the prime minister asked them to forget differences and work together for the welfare of students.

Newly elected DUCSU Vice-President Nurul Haque Nur expressed solidarity with the protesters but said he would take charge if the general students want him to continue protests as VP.

He defended the demand for fresh polls after promising Hasina to cooperate with her government saying he had “lost concentration” by seeing many BCL leaders at the Ganabhaban.