DUCSU Polls: JCD, quota reformists unveil panels

A “rebel” faction of Bangladesh Chhatra League and quota reformists yesterday announced their panels to contest the upcoming Dhaka University Central Students' Union election.

Besides, two more panels -- one by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and another by leftist alliances -- were unveiled on the day.

Yesterday was the last day for collecting nomination forms to take part in Ducsu and hall union polls.

With the four, the number of panels for Ducsu polls rose to eight.  

A day after the BCL announced a full-fledged panel, a faction of the pro-Awami League student body, led by vice-president of its recently dissolved central committee Sohan Rahman Khan, came up with a separate panel. He is the vice-president candidate of Ducsu polls.

He named Aminul Islam Bulbul, former organising secretary of Zahurul Haq Hall, and Md Roni, former deputy secretary of central BCL, as the panel's general secretary and assistant general secretary candidates.

At a press briefing at the Madhur Canteen, he named eight candidates out of 25-member panel for the Ducsu election.

“There are some disputes over the Chhatra League panel. So, we gave a partial panel and will declare the full panel after consulting with the TSC-based [socio-cultural] organisations,” said Sohan.

Aminul said, “We earlier saw that Chhatra League general secretary welcomed Chhatra Dal leaders with flowers and we hope that they will welcome us too.”

A good number of BCL activists also collected nomination forms from hall offices as independent candidates, said hall sources.

At a press conference in front of Ducsu building, leaders of quota reform protest announced an independent panel for the Ducsu polls.

They made Nurul Haque Nur vice-president candidate of the panel and Rashed Khan general secretary contender and Faruk Hasan assistant general secretary nominee.

All of them are joint conveners of Bangladesh Sadharan Chhatra Adhikar Sangrakkhan parishad, the platform that spearheaded the quota reform protest.

JCD declared its panels for Ducsu and hall unions.

Mostafizur Rahman and Anisur Rahman Khandaker Anik have been nominated as vice-president and general secretary candidates of Ducsu, while Khorshed Alam Sohel has been made assistant general secretary contender.

The pro-BNP student body also announced its vice-president and general secretary nominees for 18 hall unions.

“Though the time is limited [for campaigning], we are taking part in the polls. We don't want any other organisations to get the wholesale advantage in our absence,” Al Mehedi Talukdar, JCD DU unit general secretary, told reporters.

Two leftist alliances -- Pragatisheel Chhatra Jote and Samrajjobad Birodhi Chhatra Oikya -- unveiled their combined panel for the Ducsu polls.

Liton Nandi of Chhatra Union has been nominated for vice-president post, Umme Habiba Benojir of Chhatra Federation for general secretary and Sadikul Islam Sadik of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front for assistant general secretary.

At a press conference at the Madhur Canteen, Imran Habib Rummon, coordinator of the alliances, announced the names.

HC CLEARS WAY FOR DUCSU POLLS

In another development, the High Court yesterday cleared the way for holding the Ducsu and hall union polls slated for March 11.

The schedule for holding Ducsu election will remain as it is, said the bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Iqbal Kabir Lytton during hearing a writ petition filed by Fahmida Mazid, a postgraduate student of international relations and female student affairs secretary of JCD central committee.

The court asked the returning officer for the Ducsu election to dispose of the application filed by Fahmida for including her name in the voter list within 24 hours.

It also issued a rule asking the government and DU authorities to explain why the Ducsu polls schedule excluding the name of Fahmida in the voter list should not be declared illegal.

In the petition, she challenged the legality of the election schedule, saying that there were “anomalies” in the voter list, as her and several others' names had not been included.

The first Ducsu election in 28 years is scheduled to be held on March 11, with polling centres to be set up at the dormitories.

The last date for submitting nomination papers is today.