Umama Fatema questions timing, motive of challenge to DUCSU candidate eligibility 

Umama Fatema, vice-president hopeful from the Independent Students Unity panel, has questioned the timing and intent of the writ petition filed over a candidacy in the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election.

She raised the issue on Monday after the High Court suspended the polls, only for the chamber court to stay the suspension hours later.

“The voter list was finalised on the 11th of August. Candidate withdrawal was allowed until the 25th of August. During this whole period, that group could have filed a writ plea if they wanted,” Umama said.

She added, “But when the DUCSU election was almost upon us, they went to the High Court. We believe this is part of a conspiracy, a last-minute move to cast doubt on the entire election.”

Dhaka University had announced the schedule on Jul 29, setting Sept 9 for the vote in DUCSU and hall unions. The draft voter list came out on Jul 30, with objections allowed until Aug 6.

After disposal of appeals, the final list was published on Aug 11.

Nomination papers were distributed from Aug 12–18, and submissions accepted until 3pm on Aug 19.

Scrutiny followed on Aug 20, with the preliminary candidate list published the next day.

Candidates had until 1pm on Aug 25 to withdraw. The final list was published on Aug 26.

A total of 471 candidates are contesting 28 DUCSU posts. Around 10 panels are in the race, alongside a large number of independents.

On Sunday, Fahmida Alam, contesting for liberation war and democratic movement secretary from the “Aparajeyo 71, Adommo 24” panel backed by three left-leaning groups, filed the writ petition.

She challenged the candidacy of SM Farhad, general secretary nominee of the Islami Chhatra Shibir panel, questioning how he could run “despite being part of a Chhatra League committee until Aug 5”.

On Monday, the High Court stayed the DUCSU election until Oct 30 and ordered the university’s election tribunal to investigate Farhad’s nomination and report back within 15 days.

Following protests on campus, Dhaka University authorities appealed. The chamber court suspended the High Court order later in the afternoon, removing the “obstacle” to the polls.

News of the order broke as the Shibir-backed panel was declaring its manifesto outside the DUCSU building. The uncertainty also forced Umama’s panel to delay its manifesto launch.

Umama, who led the Anti-discrimination Student Movement during the July Uprising against the Sheikh Hasina government, has formed her panel with independents under the banner Independent Students Unity.

At a press briefing at 6pm, Umama said: “The DUCSU election is an internal election of Dhaka University. No national political intervention is acceptable here.

“Those who repeatedly try to drag our student elections into national politics are actually plotting to shut them down in the future.”

She added, “We do not want DUCSU to become a pawn of national politics. To be clear, we want this election on the 9th of September.

“We will soon meet the Election Commission directly and say in clear terms that the DUCSU election must not be delayed beyond the 9th”

Calling Dhaka University an autonomous institution, she said: “How DU holds its elections is an internal matter. Dragging the High Court into this is an outright betrayal of DU’s electoral process.”