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Published : 28 Aug 2025, 03:02 AM
The campaign for the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election has already taken a contentious turn, with a stream of formal complaints and counter-allegations emerging from rival panels over the past two days.
On Wednesday, the second day of campaigning, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal submitted a written complaint to the chief returning officer.
Meanwhile, without naming Chhatra Dal directly, candidates backed by Islami Chhatra Shibir accuse election of of “favouring one particular group” in the process.
Abdul Kader, vice-president (VP) candidate from Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad (BGCS), said: “There’s a competition among candidates to violate the rules. The administration remains completely indifferent. Since the code of conduct was declared, no one seems to be following it.”
Later in the afternoon, Chhatra Dal’s VP nominee Abidul Islam Khan, along with other candidates, submits their complaint to the chief returning officer at the Senate Building.
Their petition raises concerns over the limited number of polling centres, the closure of student Facebook groups, alleged bias by the returning officer at Kuwait Maitree Hall, and incidents of “hijabophobia” that they demand be addressed.
After exiting the office, Chhatra Dal’s general secretary (GS) candidate Sheikh Tanvir Baree Hamim said: “We should be out meeting students and campaigning. But instead, we’re spending most of our time filing complaints just to demand fairness. Yet nothing is being resolved.”
Meanwhile, the election taskforce has removed several campaign banners and PVC boards installed in violation of electoral rules. Prof Golam Rabbani, head of the taskforce, personally leads the removal operation from the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) area.
From early Tuesday, Shibir-backed alliance Oikoboddho Shikkharthi Jote installs boards with candidate information across key areas of the campus, including TSC, the Shomaj Biggyan Chattar, Faculty of Fine Arts, Hallpara, and Curzon Hall.
Other panels -- such as independent candidate Jamaluddin Khalid’s group, Mahin Sarker’s Somonnito Shikkharthi Sangsad, and Umama Fatema’s Swatantra Shikkharthi Oikko -- also put up a small number of banners on campus.
In response, the election commission issues a formal notice on Tuesday instructing all panels to remove unauthorised materials.
The notice, signed by Chief Returning Officer Prof Jasim Uddin, reminds candidates that under Clause 7(a) of the code, only black-and-white posters, leaflets or handbills are permitted. No banners, boards or festoons printed on PVC, fabric, or any other medium are allowed.
SM Farhad, GS candidate from the Shibir-backed panel, denies any violation. Speaking at a press conference in front of the vice-chancellor’s office later in the day, he said: “We have not broken any rules. The code prohibits nailing materials to walls, structures, or trees. We used string and pipes to put up banners, which is within the rules.”
He alleges that the administration is selectively enforcing rules. “They removed our banners without any prior notice. At the same time, they are extending deadlines and changing rules to help one particular panel.”
Chhatra Dal’s VP candidate Abidul also raised concerns about polling logistics. With around 40,000 voters and only eight centres allocated, he warns the system is unmanageable.
“Each voter must cast 41 votes, and the ballot is nearly seven pages long. On average, it takes 8 to 10 minutes to vote. That means only about eight votes can be cast per hour, per booth,” he said.
He added, “If there were 20 booths, that would allow 160 votes per hour. Across an 8-hour day, that’s just over 1,200 votes. It’s clearly insufficient.”
Similar concerns came from Abdul Kader, VP candidate from Boishommobirodhi Chhatra Sangsad. “We demanded more centres repeatedly. The number has increased from five to eight, but even now, it’s not enough. Students from Shamsunnahar and Bangamata Fazilatunnesa Mujib Halls cannot be expected to travel to Dhaka University Club to cast their vote.”
“It’s far, it’s inconvenient, and for many female students, it’s just too difficult,” he added.
