Student union polls to be model for national election: Home affairs adviser

Adviser for Home Affairs Lieutenant General (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has said that the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election, along with other student union polls, will serve as a model for the upcoming national election.

He said, “An election is being held after many years. So far, no complaints have been raised regarding the DUCSU election. The election is going well.”

He made these remarks on Tuesday at a press conference after a meeting of the Law and Order Advisory Council Committee at the Ministry of Home Affairs conference room in the Secretariat.

Noting that preparations for the national election have already begun, Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said law enforcement personnel have been given training, and discussions are under way with the Ministry of Finance for election funding.

In response to a question, he said, “Those voting in the DUCSU election are all 100 per cent educated. Those voting in the national election will not be 100 per cent educated. Again, in the student union election, all presiding and polling officers are highly educated. That will not be the case in the national election.”

Stating that the DUCSU election will not fully mirror the national election, he said, “Still, the student union election will serve as a model for the next national election.”

On another question about DUCSU, he said, “So far, no unrest has been seen in the election. It is going well. No complaints have been received.”

On the issue of drugs, Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said the types of drugs in the country have changed, and the flow of narcotics has increased, as has the number of seizures. However, the flow has not been stopped. 

Explaining why, he said, “The Arakan Army sells drugs. Their main source of income is drug trafficking. The Myanmar border is now under the control of the Arakan Army. They are freely selling drugs into Bangladesh.”

In response to another question, Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said that following DUCSU, other student union elections, including JUCSU and RUCSU, will be held step by step. The chief adviser has given instructions to ensure these elections are free, fair, and impartial.