After six years, the long-awaited Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election has begun. Following weeks of intense campaigning, voting opened this morning amid heightened enthusiasm on campus.
From the early hours, panel and independent candidates were seen actively engaging with students, with some still making last-minute appeals.
BNP-backed panel’s Vice President (VP) candidate Abidul Islam Khan cast his ballot at his designated centre at 8am. Speaking to reporters, he urged students to exercise their voting rights, “Come to the polling centres and vote. Do not stay at home – your vote is extremely valuable,” he said.
Earlier, late on Monday night, General Secretary (GS) candidate Meghmallar Basu from the Left Alliance “Protirodh Parishad” posted on Facebook, addressing voters, “If you do not consider me a worthy candidate, then please do not vote for me.”
Meanwhile, Sadiq Kayem, VP candidate of the Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed Oikkoboddho Shikkharthi Jote, was also seen casting his vote at his respective centre this morning.
Since dawn, student voters have been turning up in large numbers at polling stations. Long queues formed outside centres, with many students appearing eager to cast their ballots spontaneously.
Security has been tightened across the campus. Police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and university security personnel have been stationed at entry points. Only registered students and authorised individuals are allowed into the premises.
