The Abid-Hamim-Mayed panel, backed by Bangladesh Nationalist Party’s student wing Bangladesh Jatiatabadi Chatra Dal, on Thursday announced a 10-point manifesto for the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union and hall union elections scheduled for September 9.
The manifesto pledges a modern, female-friendly and safe campus, improved healthcare, modernisation of curriculum and examinations, better transport services, harassment-free administration, student loans and campus-based jobs.
Vice-president candidate Abidul Islam Khan unveiled the manifesto at an event in front of the Arts Building of Dhaka University at about 12:30pm.
Candidates for the general secretary and assistant general secretary posts, Shaikh Tanveer Bari Hamim and Tanvir Al Hadi Mayed, respectively, along with other panel members were present.
The manifesto also promises youth engagement in sports and culture, digital facilities with cyber security, waste management and campus greening, as well as an effective DUCSU with regular polls and international collaboration.
Highlighting the first point of the manifesto, which prioritises education and research to build a modern, vibrant, liveable, and safe campus, Abidul said that his panel, if elected, would abolish the ‘notorious guestroom culture’, forced participation in political programmes, repression, terrorism, extortion and illegal occupation.
To control the presence of outsiders, the panel proposed dividing the Dhaka University campus into three zones: green, yellow and red.
‘The university area will be divided into zones to regulate vehicles and outsiders,’ Abidul said.
According to the plan, the green zone will include crowded areas such as Dhaka Medical College and Bangla Academy, while the yellow zone will cover places like auditoriums where guests, alumni and others may enter with proper identification and the red zone will comprise residential and academic areas, where entry of outsiders will be strictly prohibited, he added.
The panel expected that the elections would be a chance for students to exercise their democratic rights.
For the third consecutive day for DUCSU elections campaigning on Thursday, candidates approached students for votes.
At least 10 panels and several independent candidates are contesting the polls.
Professor Golam Rabbani, head of the task force on the electoral code of conduct, told a press briefing on Thursday that all banners and festoons had been removed from the campus.
‘Candidates are only allowed to distribute handbills and leaflets,’ he said.
Regarding an alleged distortion of a campaign banner of the Bangladesh Chhatra Shibir-backed panel, Rabbani said complaints of code of conduct violation had been received from the Faculty of Fine Arts, and a probe committee had been formed.
Amid criticism regarding the decision to deploy army personnel on DUCSU elections day, the chief returning officer for the elections, Mohammad Zashim Uddin, at a press briefing on Thursday said that the army’s assistance would be sought if required to ensure security during the polls.
However, so far there is no reason for concern over security, he added.
The Bangladesh Army on Thursday said that it had received no directive from the government to perform duties in the forthcoming university central students’ union elections, nor was there any possibility of such involvement in the future.
The last DUCSU elections were held on March 11, 2019, after a 28-year gap.