Voting in the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union and hall union elections began on Tuesday morning in eight polling centres on the DU campus amid a peaceful atmosphere.
It began at about 8:00am and will continue till 4:00pm without any break, said DUCSU election chief returning officer Professor Mohammad Zashim Uddin.
At the TSC polling centre, the voting began at about 8:10am, with over 200 female students seen waiting in two rows before the voting began.
Ballot boxes were shown empty to polling agents, observers and journalists before being sealed in front of everyone present at the polling centres.
The first group of students to cast their votes appeared visibly enthusiastic.
‘I have been waiting for this moment. Whoever wins, I just hope they represent students’ voices,’ said Lamisa Islam, right after casting her ballot at the TSC polling centre.
Inside the polling centres, teachers serving as presiding officers, along with volunteers, were seen guiding voters through the voting process.
Voters were checked to carry her/his valid university identity card, department’s ID card, hall ID card, library card or payslip before entering inside the polling centres.
Volunteers and law enforcement personnel were seen checking valid ID cards, documents and passes of individuals at different entry points of the university as the university authorities imposed restrictions from 8:00pm on Monday to 6:00am on Wednesday on public entry into the campus through seven entry points, including Shahbagh, Palashi, Doyel Chattar, Shibbari crossing, Fuller Road, Udayan School and Nilkhet, for security reasons regarding the elections.
A large number of law-enforcing members, including police, BGB, SWAT, ansar, and volunteers, including Bangladesh National Cadet Corps and Rover Scouts, were seen on the campus, eight polling centres, and the main entry points of the university to ensure security inside the campus.
No major disruption was reported in the first half-hour of voting.
A total of 39,874 voters are registered for DUCSU polls to cast their votes at 810 polling booths in eight polling centres, including Curzon Hall, Physical Education Centre, TSC, DU Club, Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban, Udayan School and College, Geology Department and University Laboratory School and College.
In the DUCSU elections, 470 candidates, independently and from 12 panels, are vying for 28 posts, while 1,035 candidates are vying for 234 posts in 18 halls in the hall union elections. Each voter has to cast 41 votes in DUCSU and hall union elections.
The panels included Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal’s panel, Islami Chhatra Shibir’s panel, Oikyabaddha Shikkharthi Jote, left student organisations and the Meghmallar Bose-led panel Pratirodh Parshad, Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad’s panel Baishamyabirodhi Shikkharthi Sangsad, left student organisations-led panel Aparajeyo 71 - Adammya 24, Jamal Uddin Khalid-led panel Samannita Shikkharthi Sangsad, Umama Fatema-led panel Satantra Shikkharthi Oikya, Bangladesh Chhatra Odhikar Parishad’s panel DUCSU for Change, Students’ Federation of Bangladesh’s panel Unity to Rebuild, Islami Chhatra Andolan Bangladesh’s panel Sachetan Shikkharthi Sangsad, Jannati Bulbul and Mahmudul Hasan-led panel Samannita Chhatra Oikya and the Abdul Wahed-led panel Biplobi Chhatra Parishad.
