DUCSU election: UTL places six demands to ensure fair election

'University Teachers' Link' (UTL), a platform of public university teachers of the country, has placed a six-point demand to advocate a congenial atmosphere in Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) election slated for September 9.
 
UTL convenor Pro Md. Ataur Rahman Biswas, chairman of the department of Islamic History and Culture of the DU, on Wednesday presented the demands at a press conference in front of the DU Senate Building.
 
The demands include holding the election fairly, ensuring dignity and safety of female students, taking measures to ensure a fair election process, ensuring equal opportunities for everyone, level playing field, and accountability and punishment.
 
He alleged that that the level playing field is yet to be ensured in the DUCSU polls as some media outlets are prioritising the statements of a particular side. Women are being used as human shields. Fascist mentality and activities have not been eradicated and Islamophobia still exists at DU.
 
The UTL called for the formation of a neutral observation team comprising acceptable teachers, officers, journalists, and eminent persons, ensuring equal opportunity for all student organisations and measures to prevent any student organisation or independent candidate from being attacked by others.
 
Expressing concern, the platform demanded that violence and repression on campus must be strictly resisted, fair participation ensured, and the tendency to exclude right-wing and Islamic-oriented teachers who played a leading role in the July uprising from the Election Committee, Senate, and Syndicate must be stopped.
 
The UTL also demanded that the administration stop attempts to establish new fascism in the name of implementing the agenda of any particular group, and that teachers, officers, employees, and student leaders involved in student repression during fascist times be brought to justice.