DUCSU polls: Candidate’s age limit set at 30

The age limit for a candidate in the Dhaka University Central Students' Union or DUCSU election has been set at 30.

The decision was taken after amending DUCSU constitution in a syndicate meeting on Tuesday. Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman chaired the meeting.

The amendment was made after three decades ahead of the election slated for Mar 11.

As per the decisions, voting booths will be set up in the halls of residence and current students of honours, masters and MPhil, who will not be over 30 years of age at the time of the election schedule announcement, will be able to vote and contest in the DUCSU polls.

Some changes have also been brought to several posts of DUCSU through the constitutional amendment, DU Registrar Md Enamuzzaman told reporters after meeting.

Following court orders, the VC took opinions of student organisations to hold the DUCSU election.

In the meeting on Jan 21, the ruling Awami League-backed Bangladesh Chhatra League and its allies gave their opinions in favour of setting up the polling stations in the halls like before.

On the other hand, the BNP-backed Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and the left student organisations opposed the Chhatra League’s views and asked that the polling booths be installed in the academic buildings.

All the student organisations agreed that the MPhil students should be allowed to vote or contest in the polls.

Enamuzzaman said those studying in evening courses, or programmes for professionals and executives, language courses, certificate courses or similar courses would not be able to vote.

He added that any student working in any government or private organisation in Bangladesh or abroad would also not be able to become voter.

DUCSU was formed a year after Dhaka University was established in 1921. Dhaka University’s student leaders were at the forefront of the Language Movement and the Independence Movement.

Though DUCSU elections are to be held every year, there have only been six ballots since independence.

The last election was held on Jun 6, 1990. Though efforts were made several times, no election has been organised since then, reports bdnews24.

Analysts observed that youth leadership grooming suffered due to the absence of a DUCSU.

President Md Abdul Hamid, who is the ex-officio chancellor of all the universities in Bangladesh, asked Dhaka University to organise the DUCSU polls in his speech at its convocation last year.

The High Court later settled a six-year-old rule on the issue, ordering DUCSU elections to be held within six months or Mar 15 this year.

The university has named Prof SM Mahfuzur Rahman of International Business Department as the returning officer for the DUCSU polls.

The VC also formed a council of 15 advisers from the teachers to assist in holding the election and a seven-member committee to set the code of conduct.