When voting began at Dhaka University on Tuesday morning, expectations were high that the Ducsu election would be fair and credible, setting the tone for the national polls in February 2026.
The first election organised under the interim government of Professor Muhammad Yunus, in office for 13 months, concluded peacefully but was marred by allegations of irregularities and vote rigging. Several candidates accused the university authorities of favouring the Islami Chhatra Shibir panel, which undermined confidence in the voting process.
Criticism centred on whether the university administration ensured a level playing field. Allegations were made that the vice-chancellor and other senior officials were sympathetic to Jamaat-Shibir, a charge which the VC denied.
Jamaat and its student wing, banned on the campus since 1990, have reemerged as political actors following the fall of Sheikh Hasina’s government in last year’s mass uprising.
Amid this backdrop, allegations of favouritism toward Shibir candidates by the university authorities have deepened public doubts over whether the interim administration can ensure free, fair, and credible elections at the national level.
Given Dhaka University’s historic role in national politics, the Ducsu poll carried significance beyond the campus. It was seen as the first meaningful test of voting rights since 2008, after years of disputed and manipulated elections under the previous regime. Many hoped it would mark a shift from an era of controlled polls to genuine competition.
The Ducsu election was therefore not merely a contest of student politics; it symbolised the potential rebirth of a voting culture. For citizens who had witnessed sham elections for 15 years, it was a test of whether Bangladesh could reclaim a right that had long been denied.
A clean and credible Ducsu poll would have sent a powerful signal ahead of the parliamentary election in February 2026. But the irregularities have cast doubt on the ability of the Professor Yunus-led administration to deliver free, fair, and credible elections at the national level.
