When confusion over dates, cyberbullying drawing disciplinary actions, and directives regarding the code of conduct are making headlines surrounding the much-anticipated Ducsu polls, two creative candidates have introduced pop culture into their campaigns, creating a buzz on campus.
With just four days left until the big day, Nusrat Jahan Sauda from the history department and Samsuddoza Nabab from the mass communication and journalism department have introduced something unusual.
The candidates, for now, have secured at least “promises of votes” with their promotional materials crafted using themes from Uno, Spiderman, and Breaking Bad—elements that stir emotion among fans of card games, American superheroes, and crime dramas.
Sauda, an aspirant for a member position in the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union, was found distributing Uno cards. Upon taking a closer look, it was revealed that the cards featured her smiling face making a V sign, along with her candidate number 59, which is pronounced ‘Unoshat’ in Bengali.
“When I saw that I was number 59 on the list of aspirants, I had the idea of creating my personalised Uno card. This way, students will remember the number,” Sauda told TIMES of Bangladesh.
Many students were seen collecting four cards in different colours from the candidate as souvenirs. They jokingly remarked that the election may be over, but the cards would remain.
Another candidate, Nabab, was found distributing leaflets designed with the theme of the popular crime drama series Breaking Bad. He has also created a video with a Spiderman theme to reach voters, with a QR code for the video placed on the leaflet.
“I spent my childhood in a village where I didn’t have much access to comic books. Later, I became interested in TV series and movies,” said Nabab. “I feel that the famous quote from Spiderman, ‘With great power comes great responsibility,’ matches my spirit and sense of responsibility.”
With a grin, Nabab mentioned that his video was receiving a good number of views and people were actually reading the leaflet.
Both candidates said that they did not have the manpower or money like the larger panels. However, Sauda had already printed three thousand cards, which she felt was inadequate, given that the number of voters is around forty thousand.
When asked if such materials made politics appear too trivial, the candidates disagreed and asserted that these fresh campaign methods were effective in getting their message across to the younger generation.
“In 2025, pop culture is not something separate; it is part of daily life,” Nabab said.
“If you cannot speak the language of the new generation, you cannot reach them through politics,” said Sauda.
A student from the 2022–23 session, Hafizul Islam, told TIME of Bangladesh, “Nabab’s style of campaigning seems unique and eye-catching to me. After I brought the leaflet to my room, many others asked about it. They even wanted copies. I think this will actually make everyone remember Nabab when casting their votes.”
Nabab says that if he wins, he will work to make Ducsu transparent and accountable to students. If he loses, he will use the experience in his work as a campus journalist. As for Sauda, she believes that the entire electioneering experience has instilled confidence and creativity in her.
No restrictions have yet been imposed by the administration on this new approach to campaigning.
