Ducsu polls campaign kicks off

Campaign for the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) and hall union polls officially began yesterday as the university authorities published the final list of candidates.

According to section 4 (Kha) of the electoral code of conduct, one can conduct campaigning from the day of announcing the final list of candidates and continue it 24 hours prior to the election.

The authorities have published the final list of candidates in the website (http://ducsu.du.ac.bd) which shows that 21 candidates are contesting for the vice-president post and 14 others for the general secretary post.

Besides, 13 candidates will run for the assistant general secretary post, 11 for liberation war affairs secretary post, nine each for science and technology affairs secretary and common room and cafeteria affairs secretary posts, 11 for international affairs secretary post, eight for literature affairs secretary post, 12 for cultural affairs secretary post, 11 for sports affairs secretary post, 10 for student transport affairs secretary post, 14 for social services secretary post and 86 will vie  for member posts in the Ducsu election.

The authorities on February 27 published a primary list of candidates, disqualifying seven aspirants.

Among them, five candidates -- VP post contender Abdullah Ziyad, GS post seekers Umme Habiba Benzir and ARM Asifur Rahman, and member post aspirants Ishat Kasfia Ira and Shafayet Hasnain Sabit -- have regained their candidacy after applying for a review.

Key areas of the campus including Madhur Canteen and Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) were buzzing with hundreds of students talking about the coming election.

Activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League were seen hanging banners in different places of the university, seeking vote for their panel and distributing leaflets among the students.

The Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal leaders also went to different dormitories to seek votes, while the independent candidates and contenders from leftist student organisations and the platform for quota reformists were also seen campaigning.

Candidates can campaign from 10:00am to 12:00pm every day for the election, for which, a supplementary voter list will be published tomorrow.

A total of 18 DU halls will go to polls on March 11, which would be the first election at the university in 28 years. The central union has 25 posts and each of the hall unions has 13 posts.

There are an estimated 43,000 voters at DU.