Reform first, elections later.
The last election of the Dhaka University DU Central Students’ Union or DUCSU was held in 2019. No more elections are held since then. The students have been demanding DUCSU elections since the change of power in the July coup. Student organizations active on the DU campus are also demanding that a participatory election be held soon. But before that, the necessary reforms need to be carried out. Otherwise, it will not bring any good result.
The student organisations believe the elections should not be held before the reforms and would become yet another version of the 2019 elections. “No scope was given to dissent at this campus for one-and-half decades,” they argued, “The DU administration, along with all stakeholders, must hold the DUCSU elections in this changed atmosphere brought out by the coup in July”.
But they need structural reforms before the election. A democratic atmosphere should be ensured on campus so that all organizations can campaign equally. The constitution of DUCSU has to be amended discussing with the student organizations and undemocratic clauses must be repealed, they say. The organizations also say the more the election is delayed, the more stability and the beautiful environment of the campus will be destroyed.
Hasnat Abdullah, the convener of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said, “I think the students’ opinions should prevail on the DUCSU elections. The administration should give importance to the students’ opinions. Complete all the reforms as soon as possible and organize the elections in a fair manner. In this case, the administration’s responsibility is to bring all parties to the elections. A DUCSU election should be organized as soon as possible according to the students’ demands,” he said.
The General Secretary of Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, DU Branch, Nahiduzzaman Shipon, told FIJ that: “No discordance appeared within Dhaka University and also all the universities over the last one and a half-decade, We are hoping in the situation of changed circumstance the administration would take up steps for building up an apt atmosphere among one and all. Once DU authority is organizationing election joining constitutional amendment work regarding DUCSU- DU Central student union then, the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal hails this order issued by them”
SA Farhad, president of the DU branch of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir, said, “We, too want the DUCSU roadmap and elections.” However, the constitution of DUCSU has to be reformed before elections. Though no radical reforms are possible in this regard, some reforms are essential. For example, some recommendations on student affairs, the exclusive power of the Vice-Chancellor, and other important issues can be reformed by calling a meeting or two. We want DUCSU elections within February after the reforms. The more the delay, the more the stability and beautiful environment of the campus will be destroyed. DUCSU election means that student leaders will be forced to go to the students. DUCSU would mean that the student leaders will have to go beyond petty politics and engage in student-friendly politics. For this, DUCSU needs to be formed at the earliest. He opines that a law should be enacted making DUCSU elections compulsory in the academic calendar.
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