From 2019 to 2025: How Ducsu election shows change
Dhaka University woke up early today, with excitement and anticipation, as the long-awaited Dhaka University Central Students' Union election finally took place after six years.
Like many others across the country, I too caught the election fever. With this Ducsu poll being the first since the July uprising, I decided to witness history with my own eyes -- this time as a journalist and alumnus.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. There was a festive mood among the Dhaka University students, which was a joy to watch. They came from their houses and dorms from across the city and the campus. The air was abuzz with a din all around the university as some speculated on the results while others tried to persuade others to vote.
The queue of voters moved swiftly, and turnout has been more than decent. From the eyes of an outsider, the election environment was peaceful.
There were sporadic allegations of code violation and vote rigging, but they soon drowned feverish frenzy that has gripped the campus. Students are indeed eager to choose their next representatives. They look forward to find out who will speak on their behalf over the next year. That was what people were interested to talk about -- would the vice president be from a strong organisation-backed panel or an independent?
The beauty of this election is that no one can predict who will ultimately come out victorious, keeping everyone on edge and eager for the result once voting ends.
Even from as early as 6:00am, students from several halls had started gathering at polling centres.
At the Udayan School centre, Imdadul Haque, a resident of Muktijoddha Ziaur Rahman Hall, said, "I came here to cast my vote for my preferred candidate. I have been in line since 6:00am. I couldn't sleep well last night because of the excitement."
His words brought back my own memories when I, too, felt that same excitement for such an election.
As I walked through the familiar corners of the university, I couldn't help but think back to another such day six years ago, when the previous Ducsu election was held when I was still a student and, consequently, a voter.
In 2019, I was still a second-year student full of hope.
As the election was taking place for the first time in 29 years, there was no shortage of optimism -- hope for change, progress, and for finally breaking free from the clutch of the then ruling party, Awami League, and its student organisation.
But that hope was quickly dashed. Like many other elections under the previous Awami League regime, the 2019 Ducsu polls turned out to be a farce.
The environment was nothing like today. Apart from some politically conscious students, many non-residential students refrained from voting, as the results were almost predetermined -- with the Chhatra League, now banned, expected to win all posts.
I was a non-residential student but I still came early. The polling centres were inside dormitories, heavily controlled by BCL activists. They swarmed everywhere, patrolling on motorbikes in a familiar show of power.
There was intimidation, too. Candidates and agents from other panels could hardly speak.
To our dismay, BCL activists weren't even willing to let those who showed up vote. They deliberately clogged every queue, overcrowding them so they couldn't move forward.
As a result, many waited hours to cast their votes, while others left after running out of patience.
In some dormitories, like Salimullah Muslim Hall, non-residential students couldn't even enter.
I was attached to Muktijoddha Ziaur Rahman Hall. I remembers waiting for more than four hours before I could finally cast my vote.
Many were not that fortunate. Even after hours of waiting, they simply couldn't enter the voting centre before polling closed.
Meghmallar Basu, who is running for general secretary this year, said today, "I am very happy to cast my vote for the first time. In the last Ducsu election, I couldn't vote even after standing in the queue for six hours. This is the result of the July uprising -- a Bangladesh of voting begins."
This sentiment was echoed by almost everyone who had experienced both elections.
The difference is clear as day: the festivity and joy of election have returned -- one of the true successes of the July uprising.
While we still have a long way to go, restoring proper elections after years of democratic decline is no small feat.
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