Joint Panels for Ducsu Polls: Student bodies in talks with allies

Likeminded student organisations have been reaching out to each other in the hope of forming alliances to contest the coming Ducsu election.

It seems that there would be five alliances participating in the Dhaka University Central Student Union election scheduled for March 11, activists said.

The Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) is likely to contest under the banner of Chhatra Sangram Parishad.

Student wings of some of the ruling Awami League's partner parties would contest under this banner, activists said.

Eventually, Bangladesh Chhatra Moitree, Bangladesh Chhatra Andolan, Bangladesh Chhatra Samity, Inu and Ambia factions of JSD Chhatra League are likely to partner with the BCL.

On the other hand, the BNP's student body Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal may not find any partner student organisation for the Ducsu polls. Political parties, with which the BNP allied before the December 30 national election, do not have student bodies.

Moreover, Jamaat's student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir, which might have partnered with the Chhatra Dal, is banned on the campus.

Left-leaning student bodies are likely to contest under the banner of Pragatishil Chhatra Jote while Islami Shashantantra Chhatra Andolan would contest alone.

Apart from these, Bangladesh Sadharon Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad, which spearheaded the quota reform protests, is also likely to contest the polls.

Several TSC-based cultural bodies may contest under the banner of BCL-led Chhatra Sangram Parishad.

The BCL had never singlehandedly won the Ducsu polls since the country's independence.

“We held several meetings with some cultural organisations of TSC, we are also planning to include meritorious students of the university in our panel,” said Saddam Hossain, general secretary of DU BCL.

Chhatra Dal's DU President Al Mehedi Hasan Talukder said, “We are preparing to participate in the election without forming any alliance.”

Left-leaning alliance Pragatishil Chhatra Jote would include the Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Bangladesh Chhatra Federation, Chhatra Oikya Forum, Biplobi Chhatra Moitree and two factions of Chhatra Front.

Coordinator of the alliance Salman Siddique said student organisations that protest against the BCL's misdeeds would probably join them. 

"We may include some quota reformists. Besides, we have already invited Adivasi Chhatra Parishad and Nipiron Birodhi Shiksharthi to join our tent,” Salman added.

Nurul Huq Nuru, joint convenor of the quota reformist Bangladesh Sadharon Chhatra Odhikar Songrokkhon Parishad, said several political organisations have asked them to form an alliance, but they are looking forward to go solo.

Kazi Sujan, president of TSC-based Slogan 71, said that they will support whichever alliance upholds the spirit of Liberation War and students' rights.  

SM Mahfuzur Rahman, chief returning officer of the Ducsu election, said an updated voters' list would be published soon as per the amended Ducsu constitution.

The election schedule will be announced by February 15, he added. 

Ducsu was dissolved in 1998. Many later attempts to hold an election had failed since then. Following a Supreme Court verdict, the DU authorities announced the Ducsu election would be held on March 11.