Ducsu polls today: Record number of candidates, festive mood
Students will cast their ballots at eight polling centres today from 8am to 3pm. Voters will elect representatives for 41 posts – 28 in Ducsu and 13 in the hall unions.
After much speculation, the long-awaited Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) elections are set to take place today, after six and a half years.
Alongside, elections for the 18 residential hall unions will also be held.
Since the official campaign for the 38th Ducsu began on 26 August and continued until 7 September, all panels and candidates were active across the campus. This year's campaign stood out with its creative elements – from UNO cards and legal notices to dollar notes – bringing novelty and diversity that intensified the electoral battle.
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Campaign videos and online engagement by followers further boosted the momentum.
This year, 39,874 students will vote in the Ducsu polls. Among them, five female halls account for 18,959 voters, while 13 male halls have 20,915 voters. Students will cast their ballots at eight polling centres today from 8am to 3pm. Voters will elect representatives for 41 posts – 28 in Ducsu and 13 in the hall unions.
471 candidates contesting, 45 for VP post
A total of 471 candidates are contesting in the Ducsu election this year. Among them, 409 are men and 62 are women. The vice president (VP) post alone has 45 contenders. For the general secretary (GS) post, 19 candidates are running, while 25 are contesting for assistant general secretary (AGS).
In the hall union elections, 1,035 candidates are contesting for 234 posts. Each hall has 13 posts: 850 candidates are from 13 male halls and 185 from 5 female halls.
This year's number of candidates is almost double that of the 2019 Ducsu election. In 2019, 229 candidates contested for 25 central positions, while 509 contested for 234 posts across 18 hall unions. That election had 43,256 registered voters, with 21 contesting for VP, 14 for GS, and 13 for AGS.
Other posts this year include: Liberation War and Democratic Movements Secretary (17 candidates), Common Room, Reading Room and Cafeteria Secretary (11), International Affairs Secretary (14), Literary and Cultural Secretary (19), and Science and Technology Secretary (12).
For Research and Publications Secretary, 9 are competing; 13 for Sports Secretary, 12 for Student Transport Secretary, 17 for Social Services Secretary, 15 for Health and Environment Secretary, 11 for Human Rights and Law Secretary, and 15 for Career Development Secretary.
Competition is also fierce for membership posts: 217 candidates are vying for 13 member slots.
What's new this year?
Polling centres outside halls: For the first time, polling centres are set up outside the residential halls. The 18 halls have been grouped into eight centres.
Voting hours extended: Polling will run from 8am to 3pm, an hour longer than in 2019.
Four new posts added: The revised rules this year introduced four additional positions.
QR-coded voter info: Each voter's details will include a QR code to verify identity instantly at polling centres.
Live vote count on LED screens: Vote counting for Ducsu and hall unions will be displayed live on LED screens outside each centre.
Four panels dominate the race
Although eight panels are participating (both full and partial), the main contest is among four– Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal panel, the Anti-Discrimination Students' Union, the Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed United Students' Alliance, and the Resistance Council (joint panel of seven left-wing student organisations).
Talking to students revealed that votes from Jagannath Hall, non-residential students, and the five women's halls may prove decisive in determining the winners.
Sheikh Ohona, a fourth-year Mass Communication and Journalism student told The Business Standard, "My main focus in choosing a candidate is their past and present activities and their ideology. I'm looking at whether their manifestos are realistic, and whether they are competent enough to implement them. I won't keep any opportunists or beneficiaries on my list."
