ASIFUR RAHMAN and MAHATHIR MOHAMMAD

The much-anticipated Ducsu and hall union elections are set to be held today after a six-year pause, bringing renewed hope for campus democracy.

With nearly 40,000 registered voters and 471 candidates vying for 28 central posts, the stakes are high -- not just for student leadership, but for the future of participatory politics at Dhaka University.

The DU campus, which had long been dominated by ruling party-backed student wings, has come alive in recent weeks with vibrant campaigning, creative leaflets, and intense debates among candidates pledging academic reforms and a safer, more inclusive environment.

Security has been tightened, with over 2,000 law enforcers deployed to ensure peaceful polling.

Voting will take place across eight centres on the campus -- all outside dormitories for the first time.

A total of 39,775 voters are registered to cast their ballots in 810 booths. Among them, 20,873 are male and 18,902 female.

Each student will vote for 41 positions -- 28 in Ducsu and 13 in hall unions. Besides 471 candidates for Ducsu, 1,035 are contesting 234 posts in 18 hall unions.

The last Ducsu polls were held on March 11, 2019, after 28 years, and were marred by intimidation and irregularities. Nurul Haq Nur, then a quota reform leader, was elected vice president, while Golam Rabbani of the now-banned Chhatra League became general secretary. Voter turnout that year was 59.5 percent.

As of yesterday, no major untoward incidents had been reported. The authorities said all-out measures were taken to hold the election in a festive atmosphere.

DU Vice Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmed Khan told reporters, “We’ve reached the final stage of the process after crossing all hurdles … The opportunity to create a new history is ahead of us.”

Following last year’s student-led July uprising, holding student union elections was one of the key demands. DU is the first major public university to hold polls after the movement.

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