DUCSU elections: No student orgs could field full panel in all halls

No student organisation has been able to field a full panel in all halls of Dhaka University this time. The university has a total of 18 halls, including five for female students. Among them, the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) has been able to field a full panel in a maximum of 14 halls. The Islami Chhatra Shibir and the Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad have not fielded panels in any hall. The situation is similar for other student organisations.

Each hall council has 13 positions, including VP (Vice President) and GS (General Secretary). Therefore, there are a total of 234 posts across all halls. Against this, 1,108 students’ nomination papers were found valid in the preliminary screening this time.

Leaders of the Islami Chhatra Shibir-supported ‘Oikyabadhya Shikkharthi Jote’ and the Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad-supported “Boishommo Birodhi Shikkharthi Sangsad” said they are not fielding panels in the halls as part of their electoral strategy.

However, they have expressed that they will support many of the candidates who are contesting the hall council elections.

Debates are ongoing on campus about whether student politics will exist inside the halls, and if so, what form it will take. Discussions are also ongoing on how acceptable party panels will be to students in the hall council elections.

On the night of 8 August, a protest occurred on campus centering Chhatra Dal’ hall committee formation, in which leaders of Chhatra Shibir, Islami Chhatree Sanghastha, and Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad played leading roles.

In this context, leaders of Shibir and the Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad believe that fielding party panels in the hall council elections would legitimise student politics within the halls to some extent.

SM Farhad, president of the Dhaka University unit of Chhatra Shibir and a GS candidate in the DUCSU elections, told Prothom Alo, “Since doubts were arising about whether politics should exist in the halls, we requested the university administration via institutional email to take students’ opinions on the matter. Based on these opinions, a framework regarding politics in the halls could have been developed. But the administration did not do that. Since students are generally hesitant about politics in the halls, we decided not to field panels in the halls. However, we are in contact with many individuals. We may support candidates both from our workers and those running independently.”

On the other hand, leaders of Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad are maintaining contact with many of those running for the halls even though they have not fielded panels.

Abu Baker Majumdar, central convenor of Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad and GS candidate in the DUCSU elections, told Prothom Alo, “Many leaders and activists of our student organisation are contesting the hall councils. They have coordinated with other students in the halls and reached an understanding, which functions like a panel.”

Chhatra Dal has been able to field a full panel in 13 halls for male students. Among the five female halls, only Ruqayyah Hall has a full panel from Chhatra Dal.

In addition, the organisation has candidates in nine posts in Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall, three posts in Bangladesh–Kuwait Maitree Hall, six posts in Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall, and five posts in Shamsun Nahar Hall. However, Chhatra Dal has candidates for the VP and GS posts in all four of these halls.

Regarding not being able to field a full panel in all female halls, Chhatra Dal central general secretary Nasir Uddin told Prothom Alo, “Even though we have leaders and activists in all female halls, for various reasons many did not want to run.”

Regarding other student organisations not fielding panels in hall elections, the Chhatra Dal leader said, “If any student wants, they can run independently on their own initiative. We welcome this. But the girls of Chhatri Sangstha are engaged in secret politics under the banner of so-called general students. They are spreading misinformation in the name of Chhatra Dal and forming mobs against the party at different times. This is a strategy of their clandestine politics. Such politics should be avoided.”

There are 13 posts in each hall. In the male students’ halls, according to the preliminary candidate list for the hall council election, 59 candidates are contesting in Jagannath Hall, 64 candidates in Fazlul Haque Muslim Hall, 62 candidates in Salimullah Muslim Hall, 70 candidates in Dr Muhammad Shahidullah Hall, 78 candidates in Muktijoddha Ziaur Rahman Hall, 81 candidates in Shaheed Sergeant Zahurul Haq Hall, 77 candidates in Bijoy Ekattor Hall, 69 candidates in Kabi Jasimuddin Hall, 67 candidates in Kabi Jasimuddin Hall, 65 candidates in Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall, 68 candidates in Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall, 79 candidates in  Masterda Surja Sen Hall, and 81 candidates are contesting in Amar Ekushe Hall.

Chhatra Dal has fielded a full 13-member panel in each of these halls.

In the five halls for female students, 40 candidates are contesting the elections in Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall, 45 candidates in Ruqayyah Hall, 31 candidates in Bangladesh–Kuwait Maitree Hall, 36 candidates in Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall and 36 candidates are vying for the polls in Shamsun Nahar Hall.

Students whose nominations are preliminarily found to be valid for the Dhaka University Central Student Council (DUCSU) and hall councils can withdraw their papers by 25 August if they wish. Formal campaigning will begin from 26 August after the final candidate list is published.

Chhatra Dal, Chhatra Shibir, and Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad interacted with students in four halls after Juma prayers on Friday.

For the DUCSU VP post, the nominations of 48 candidates were preliminarily declared valid. About one-third of them are running from student organisation panels, while others are independent candidates.

Among them, two independent VP candidates are being widely discussed on Facebook: Zulias Cizar Talukdar and Muhammad Abu Tayyeb.

VP candidate Zulias Cizar is under scrutiny because he was previously associated with Bangladesh Chhatra League (now banned).

In the latest DUCSU and hall council elections (2019), he was elected GS from Salimullah Muslim Hall on the Chhatra League panel.

Allegations were made against him by candidates and supporters of various panels for multiple attacks on students in the halls.

However, the election commission has allowed his VP candidacy to remain.

Former Chhatra League leader Cizar told Prothom Alo yesterday, “I am preparing to conduct election campaigning. No one has been able to provide proof of my involvement in attacks on students.”

Another VP candidate drawing discussion on Facebook is Muhammad Abu Tayyeb. Born in 1980, the 45-year-old father of two is the oldest candidate in this year’s DUCSU elections. He was once involved in journalism and now manages a family business.

Tayyeb enrolled in the Urdu Department of the university in the 2001–02 academic session. He was previously involved in Chhatra Dal politics.

He claims that he could not complete his undergraduate (honours) degree due to ‘political reasons’. After the July mass uprising, the university administration allowed him to enroll in the fourth year along with others. Classes have not yet started, but he intends to attend regularly once they do.

Tayyeb told Prothom Alo, “I am participating in the DUCSU elections to be part of history. Winning or losing is not the point here.”