The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Wednesday cleared the way for holding the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election on September 9, lifting all existing legal barriers to the scheduled polls.
A seven-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed, passed the order at noon. The ruling will remain in force until October 30, ensuring the election proceeds without further judicial interruption.
The court’s decision follows a series of legal developments that had cast uncertainty over the long-anticipated student body election.
Advocate Mohammad Shishir Monir represented Dhaka University during the hearing. Advocate Ahsanul Karim and Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua appeared for the petitioner, while Barrister Imran A. Siddique argued on behalf of General Secretary candidate SM Farhad.
Tuesday’s ruling came a day after Chamber Judge Justice Farah Mahbub stayed the High Court’s order that had postponed the election until October 30. The stay was issued following an emergency hearing on a handwritten petition filed by university authorities. The Chamber Court also instructed the university to file a formal appeal with the Appellate Division, which led to Wednesday’s final order.
The High Court had issued the stay on Monday at 3:50 pm in response to a writ petition filed by BM Fahmida Alam, a DUCSU candidate from the Left Alliance panel. She challenged the candidacy of SM Farhad, the General Secretary nominee backed by a coalition reportedly affiliated with student organisation Chhatra Shibir.
The High Court bench, comprising Justice Habibul Gani and Justice Sheikh Tahsin Ali, directed the petitioner to submit all allegations against Farhad to the DUCSU Election Tribunal within 15 days.
With the Supreme Court’s ruling now in place, the DUCSU election on September 9 is set to move forward as planned, free from legal impediments.