Dhaka University Central Students Union building. — New Age file photo
Elections to the Dhaka University Central Student Union will be held on March 11.
Vice-chancellor M Akhtaruzzaman made the schedule of the elections exercising his authority as the DUCSU president as per Section 8(E) of the DUCSU constitution on Wednesday, said a release of the university.
Polling for the DUCSU and hall students unions would be held between 8:00amd and 2:00pm on March 11, said the release.
The vice-chancellor made the decision following meeting with hall provosts and elections advisory panel on Wednesday, the release added.
Chief returning officer SM Mahfuzur Rahman, also international business professor, said that they were preparing to announce the complete schedule for the polls within shortest possible time.
He said that the process of amendment to the DUCSU constitution, formulation of the electoral code of conduct and finalisation of the electoral roll continued.
The university authorities already held several meetings with student organisations active on the campus to exchange views on amendment to the DUCSU constitution and formulation of the electoral code of conduct.
Earlier on January 17, the university authority appointed SM Mahfuzur Rahman as the chief returning officer also formed a 15-member advisory council as the university geared up for the polls, stalled for about 28 years since 1990.
On January 20, the university authorities appointed five returning officers and formed a seven-member committee headed by pro-vice-chancellor (education) Nasreen Ahmad.
Earlier on September 15, 22018, after a meeting with student organisations, vice-chancellor Akhtaruzzaman at a briefing said that the DUCSU polls might be held by March 2019 and expressed hope that draft electoral roll for the polls would be prepared by October 2018.
On September 12, 2018, 15 former Dhaka University students filed a contempt petition against Dhaka University vice-chancellor Akhtaruzzaman, proctor AKM GolamRabbani and treasurer Kamal Uddin for violating a High Court order asking them to hold the DUCSU polls.
On January 17, 2018, the High Court bench of Justice Syed Muhammad Dastagir Husain and Justice MdAtaurRahman Khan asked the Dhaka University authorities to take steps for holding DUCSU polls at a ‘suitable time, preferably within six months.’
The university authorities time and again promised to hold the elections since DUCSU was formally dissolved on May 28, 1998.
The DUCSU polls, however, did not take place in the past 28 years because of indifference of the successive university administrations and governments reportedly in order to maintain their dominance on the campus.
It breached the provisions stipulated in Articles 4 and 20 of the Dhaka University Order 1973 and the fundamental rights ensured under the Article 27 of the same order, the petitioners argued.
This violation renders all the senate committees and vice-chancellor elections of the university in the past 28 years unconstitutional as in the senate of the university five seats are reserved for the student representatives that remained vacant since the fall of autocratic regime in 1990, the petitioners contended DUCSU was formed in 1924 after the establishment of Dhaka University in 1921, and its first vice-president was nominated in the 1924-25 academic session. Since then, the vice-president used to be nominated until 1953 when the first elections were held.
The latest DUCSU elections were held in 1990. It was the sixth elections after independence. Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal-backed panel led by Amanullah Aman and Khairul Kabir Khokan as vice-president and general secretary respectively won the elections and they stayed the leaders of the students’ body until its dissolution.
Source: New Age.
