DUCSU election on March 11

-- polls for 25 Ducsu posts

-- Nomination paper distribution Feb 19-25

-- Last day for nomination submission Feb 26

-- Publication of final voter list Mar 3

-- Voting at halls from 8am to 2pm 

-- Returning officer briefs media

Schedule for the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) election slated for March 11 was declared this morning.

The first election in 28 years will be held for 25 posts. 

Nomination paper will be distributed from February 19 to 25 while last day for submission of nomination is February 26, Chief Returning Officer Prof Masudur Rahman said at a press briefing at the DU today.

A draft list of voters will be published today. The final voter list will be published on March 3.

Voting will be held at the student halls of Dhaka University till 2:00pm starting from 8:00am. 

Why were Ducsu polls irregular?

Ducsu was formed in 1922, a year after the DU was established.  The aim of the platform is to promote cultural activities at the university and foster a spirit of cooperation among the students of different dormitories.

The previous Ducsu election was held in 1990. It was won by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal's Amanullah Aman and Khairul Kabir Khokan panel. Chhatra Dal is the pro-BNP student wing.

All these years, the DU authorities took several initiatives to hold the polls. But those were unsuccessful, mainly due to violence and the fear of violence.

After the 1990 election, the then vice-chancellor Prof Moniruzzaman Miah announced the schedule for the next polls on January 12, 1991. But a group of students staged demonstrations demanding introduction of “special admission”.

Later in 1994, the then VC Prof Emajuddin Ahmed announced an election schedule but that attempt was also halted. At that time, the BCL claimed the atmosphere for the polls was missing.

The committee constituted through the 1990 election was dissolved in 1998.

Following a writ petition filed by 25 former DU students in March 2012, the High Court on January 17 last year directed the authorities concerned and the government to hold the election in six months.

Source: thedailystar