Ducsu election: Ex-BCL leader collects nomination for VP post, faces backlash

Former leader of the banned Bangladesh Chhatra League, Julius Caesar Talukder, has collected a nomination form to contest for the vice president (VP) post in the upcoming Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) and hall union elections.

On Tuesday (12 August), the first day of form distribution, Julius collected his nomination papers. He previously served as general secretary of Salimullah Muslim Hall from the Chhatra League panel in the 2019 Ducsu election and as joint general secretary of the hall unit in 2017.

News of his nomination sparked outrage among students on social media.

By 3:30pm, a group of students staged a protest on campus.

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Jamal Uddin Muhammad Khalid, convenor of the Swadhin Bangladesh Chhatra Sangsad, told The Business Standard that they had given the Chief Returning Officer Mohammad Jasim Uddin, until 12pm Wednesday, to cancel Julius Caesar's voting rights and candidacy, and to take legal action against him.

Meanwhile, the hall's returning officer and residential teacher, Jawad Ibne Farid, has written to the chief returning officer requesting Julius's removal from the voters' list.

The letter cites recent allegations of student torture against him during the tenure of the previous "fascist" government.

Denying the allegations, Julius Caesar said, "If there is a complaint, it should be investigated, and I should be summoned. Even without summoning me, they could at least disclose the complaint to the media. They didn't say who made the allegation. This is an injustice. I am preparing to take this matter to the Supreme Court."

He also accused the authorities of bias, saying, "Fearing the mob, the administration is making unfair and illegal decisions. Their process is wrong, and I will also take legal action against the hall returning officer who issued the recommendation letter."