1 hospitalised as hunger strike for Ducsu re-polls continues

One of the six students who began a fast unto death demanding fresh election to the Dhaka University Students’ Union (Ducsu) has been hospitalised after he fell unconscious this afternoon.

Anindya Mondal, a student of DU’s philosophy department, fell unconscious around 5:10pm and was rushed to Dhaka Medical College and Hospital (DMCH) by his peers, said Rajib Raaz Das, general secretary of Bangladesh Students’ Union DU unit.

Inspector Bachchu Mia, in-charge of DMCH Police Outpost, confirmed the incident to The Daily Star.

Anindya is being administered intravenous saline at the hospital’s ward no. 602, the police official added.

The six students have been observing the hunger strike programme at the base of Raju Sculpture near Teachers’ and Students’ Centre (TSC) on the university campus since last night and said they will continue their fast unless their two-point demand are met by the authorities.

Dhaka University has to acknowledge that the March 11 Ducsu election was a farce, said Main Uddin, one of the demonstrators and a second-year student of population science department.

READ MORE: Yesterday's development on Ducsu

“Unless Dhaka University acknowledges that Ducsu election was a farce and declares schedule for a re-election, we will continue our hunger strike,” he said.

They have also put up some placards on Raju Sculpture. Photo: Palash Khan

Meanwhile, five female candidates from different panels of the hall units in the Ducsu elections began a hunger strike at the entrance of Ruqayyah Hall on DU campus this evening to realise their four-point demand.

They were staging the hunger strike programme since 8:45pm, our campus correspondent reports quoting Sayeeda Afrin Shafee, one of the demonstrators and an assistant general secretary candidate of the Ruqayyah Hall unit in the election.

Their demands include resignation of the hall Provost Zeenat Huda, re-elections to the hall council, withdrawal of cases filed against 40 female students on charge of assaulting the hall provost and ensuring security of the female resident students of the hall.

WHAT HAPPENED IN DUCSU ELECTION?

The 28-year-long wait to Ducsu election was marred in election boycott by all the major panels over allegations of irregularities and vote rigging.

Only Bangladesh Chhatra League was the major panel left contesting in the election.

The other panels exploded in protests after boycotting the election and protested in campus demanding a re-election to Ducsu. They also called a student strike.

Proof of irregularities was found in Bangladesh-Kuwait Maitree Hall, for which the provost was relieved of duties on Monday. Stashed unstamped ballots were found in Ruqayyah Hall.

Also, there has been alleged physical assault on Nurul Haque Nur and another attempted attack on leftists’ panel leader Liton Nandi.

Later, in the results announced in the wee hours of Tuesday, Nur was announced as the vice president, Chhatra League’s Golam Rabbani as general secretary, and Saddam Hossain as assistant general secretary.