Questions loom over DUCSU VP candidate Jalal, in jail over ‘murder attempt’, can cast vote

Even if expelled from a hall, a student may retain their university enrolment and right to vote in DUCSU polls

Debate is swirling at Dhaka University over whether independent vice-presidential candidate Jalal Ahmad, also known as “Jwalamoyi Jalal”, can vote in the ongoing Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election after being sent to jail pending trial in a “murder attempt” case.

Jalal, a 2018–2019 session student of the television and film department and resident of Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall, allegedly assaulted his roommate Robiul Haque late Tuesday night with a chair and a broken tube light, causing injuries.

University authorities handed him over to police, and the hall provost filed the case at Shahbagh Police Station. The court rejected his bail and sent him to jail.

DUCSU Chief Returning Officer Prof Jasim Uddin said the election office has not received any written complaint on Jalal and will act according to regulations once an official submission arrives.

According to DUCSU Constitution Section 4(G), any student eligible to vote may also stand as a candidate.

The revised 2025 Constitution clarifies that first-year students admitted through the university’s entrance exam who are still enrolled in undergraduate, postgraduate, or MPhil programmes are eligible to vote.

Section 4(B) also stipulates that university enrolment is valid even if a student is expelled from a hall, though final decisions rest with the Syndicate, which meets Wednesday.