All preparations have been made for holding the much-awaited elections to the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union and hall unions today -- after a six-year gap -- amid heightened security measures on the campus.
The university administration and the law enforcement agencies have taken several steps, including slapping restrictions on public access to the campus, deployment of different law enforcement agencies in uniform as well as in plain clothes, to ensure security on the polling day.
DU vice-chancellor Niaz Ahmed Khan on Monday afternoon at a press briefing at the Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban said that the university administration had taken complete preparations to hold peaceful and credible DUCSU elections, which were previously held on March 11, 2019, after a 28-year gap.
He hoped that the elections would witness a festive atmosphere as students expressed their utmost eagerness for the DUCSU polls following the political changeover amid the July mass uprising that ousted the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League fascist regime on August 5, 2024.
The polling will begin at 8:00am with 39,874 registered voters expected to cast ballots at 810 polling booths in the eight polling centres across the campus while the voting will continue without break until 4:00pm, said the university authorities.
A total of 470 candidates, as independent and from 12 panels, are vying for the DUCSU’s 28 posts while 1,035 contestants are competing for the 234 positions in the 18 hall unions.
Dhaka Metropolitan Police commissioner Sheikh Md Sajjad Ali at a press briefing at the DU Teacher-Student Centre said that the entire campus was under a ‘security blanket’ and all necessary measures had been put in place to ensure a peaceful election.
A total of 2,096 police personnel will be deployed on the DU campus, still with more to be added if required, while Rapid Action Battalion and Border Guard Bangladesh members will also be present to ensure security, he said.
The security measures include eight check-posts at the university entry points, mobile patrols, and CCTV monitoring, he added.
Sajjad announced that carrying licensed firearms had been prohibited on the campus from 8:00pm on Monday until 12:00pm on September 11 under the special powers of the Dhaka Metropolitan Police.
The DU authorities imposed a temporary restriction from 8:00pm on Monday to 6:00am on September 10 on public entry into the campus and said that the university’s main entry points --Shahbagh, Palashi, Doel Chattar, Shibbari Crossing, Fuller Road, Udayan School, and Nilkhet -- would remain closed to the public during the period.
Individuals bearing their valid university identity cards, library cards or pay-in slips or special passes will be allowed to enter the campus during the time, said the authorities on September 4.
The Dhaka Mass Rapid Transit Company Limited authorities in a notification issued on Monday said that the metro rail station at DU would remain closed today due to the DUCSU elections.
The DU authorities, however, will operate a special shuttle transport service along a circular route touching the key points on the campus to facilitate the carry student voters from Shahbagh to the polling centres.
DUCSU election chief returning officer professor Mohammad Zashim Uddin at a press briefing on Monday said that all measures were taken to ensure free, fair and credible DUCSU elections while vote counting would be shown on large screens at the centres.
The eight polling centres included 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.
Some panels, including Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Islami Chhatra Shibir and Umama Fatema-led panel on Monday alleged that some of their panel candidates faced cyber-attacks, with several Facebook accounts disabled or suspended ahead of the election.
