Strict security in DUCSU election: No entry to campus without ID card

Voting is underway in the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) and hall union elections. The entire campus has been placed under a security blanket. Around 2,000 police personnel have been deployed. Carrying firearms has been banned.

The main entry points to the campus—Shaheed Minar, Palashi, Nilkhet, Udayan School, Fuller Road, and Doel Chattar—have been closed to the general public.

However, students, teachers, staff, and journalists are being allowed entry upon showing valid identification.

Vehicle access to the campus has also been restricted. Only cars with university stickers and emergency service vehicles are being permitted.

A field visit to Shahbagh intersection around 8:30 am revealed that no one was being allowed onto the campus without a university ID card.

Physicians and ambulances from Dhaka Medical College were allowed in. Just beyond the entrance, members of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) were stationed.

People trying to enter through that route were being turned back and asked to use alternative routes.

Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) Commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjat Ali said that more than 2,000 police personnel have been deployed for the DUCSU elections.

Alongside them are specialised units—the Detective Branch (DB), bomb disposal unit, dog squad, SWAT, and plainclothes intelligence officers.

A total of eight checkpoints have been set up across the campus during the election. CCTV monitoring, mobile patrols, and reserve forces have also been arranged.

The DMP commissioner also announced that carrying firearms in and around the campus has been banned from 8:00 pm Monday until Thursday noon.

Meanwhile, the university administration has formed a “volunteer team” of teachers to help ensure security. They are supervising polling centers in each hall.

Dhaka University Vice Chancellor Niaz Ahmed Khan told journalists, “Our main goal is to hold free and peaceful elections. We hope students will elect their representatives in a democratic environment.”

Voting in eight polling centers began at 8:00 am today, Tuesday, and will continue until 4:00 pm.

This year, DUCSU has a total of 39,874 registered voters—18,959 from five female halls and 20,915 from 13 male halls.

A total of 471 candidates are contesting for 28 DUCSU positions, including 62 women running for various posts. In addition, across 18 hall unions, each with 13 positions, there are 234 posts in total. For these, 1,035 candidates are competing.