A 13-day-long campaigning amid a festive atmosphere for the much-awaited Dhaka University Central Students’ Union and hall union elections on Tuesday came to an end on Sunday with promises from most panels and candidates mainly to free the campus of politics of repression.
They also pledged to ensure a safe and secure environment for the female students on the campus.
DUCSU election chief returning officer professor Mohammad Zashim Uddin on the day said that the university authorities would take strict measures to prevent fake voters and hand them over to police, if caught.
Zashim at the regular press briefing in front of his office at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban said that the commission to hold DUCSU election heard from different sources that fake voters were preparing to cast fake votes on the polling day.
‘It’s not difficult to identify fake voters nowadays. We will take strict measures to prevent fake voters on the day. If any such voter is found to have come to cast fake votes, they will be handed over to the police,’ warned Zashim.
Candidates from 12 panels and independent candidates on the last campaign day were seen in a last-moment-rush to reach as many voters as possible to seek votes and convey their messages to them through projection meetings, processions, brief rallies, leaflet distribution, and so on.
Many candidates urged the voters, especially those who live outside the campus, to come to the university on the polling day for casting their votes.
Meanwhile, chief adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus, while presiding over a high-level meeting at the state guest house Jamuna in the city to review the law and order across the country, directed the law enforcement agencies to extend all-out cooperation to DU authorities to ensure a peaceful and festive atmosphere during the DUCSU elections, reported Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, quoting CA’s press secretary Shafiqul Alam.
At DU, candidates of Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal’s DUCSU and hall elections panel on Sunday afternoon organised an oath-taking programme on the campus with an eight-point commitment to the students.
Led by Chhatra Dal panel’s vice-president candidate Abidul Islam Khan, the candidates vowed that they would not allow a return of repressive politics to the campus, including the culture of ‘Ganaroom’, ‘Guestroom’ and forcing students to participate in political programmes, on the campus.
They also vowed to build a safe campus for general students, especially for female students, to work for ensuring the legal hall seat to the rightful student, take initiatives against cyber-bulling, transform the university into a modern institution based on research and education, and work with transparency and accountability, among others.
Abidul said that those were not mere promises to the students but a commitment from the Chhatra Dal panel to bring changes.
After being released from hospital on the day, Pratirodh Parshad panel’s general secretary candidate Meghmallar Bosu joined the last-day campaigning with a press briefing where he urged all the voters, especially non-residential student voters, to participate in the much-awaited DUCSU elections and cast their votes for their chosen candidates.
‘If you come to vote, every equation will change and the anti-independence force will not win in a single post. Just ensure your presence, you all,’ urged Meghmallar.
After the briefing, Meghmallar took part in the campaigning on a wheelchair and later in the evening, the Pratirodh Parshad panel held its third projection meeting.
The single panel jointly put up by three left-leaning student organisations — Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, and Bangladesh Chhatra League-BCL — named Aparajeyo 71 - Adamya 24, also held its projection meeting on the day.
They brought out a procession from the Madhu’s Canteen and marched on the campus with brief rallies at different places.
Islami Chhatra Shibir panel’s VP candidate Sadiq Kayem campaigned in front of the social science faculty after the Zuhr prayers, seeking supports from students and pledging a safe, discrimination-free campus.
In the afternoon, university teachers’ platform University Teachers’ Network at a press briefing raised 10-point demand and concern regarding the DUCSU elections and said that a group of teachers from the platform would act as observers on the polling day.
The platform demanded that the authorities must extend the polling time from 4:00pm to 5:00pm.
It also demanded of the authorities to appoint a teacher and an assistant as an officer for line management outside the booths in the eight polling centres.
Meanwhile, Umama Fatema-led Satantra Shikkharthi Oikya panel candidates visited different residential halls seeking votes.
Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad’s Baishamyabirodhi Shikkharthi Sangsad panel’s VP candidate Abdul Qader at a press briefing alleged that Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leaders and activists at different places visited houses of voters’ parents and sought votes for the Shibir panel.
A total of 39,874 voters, including 18,959 female ones, are registered for DUCSU polls.
The elections will be held for 28 posts, with 471 contesting candidates, of whom 62 are women.
Chief returning officer Zashim in the afternoon briefing said that they were expecting a free, fair, and credible DUCSU election amid a festive atmosphere on September 9.
In the eight polling centres, voters will cast their votes in 810 booths, he said, adding that even if all voters cast their votes and each took an average of 10 minutes, the voting process can be completed smoothly.
