The voting for the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) and hall union elections is underway.
The polls opened at 8:00 am on Tuesday (September 9) across 810 booths set up in eight centres of the university and will continue until 4:00 pm.
After a long hiatus, the DUCSU election is being held in a festive atmosphere among students.
This year, a total of 39,874 students are registered to vote—20,915 male and 18,959 female.
Voters will cast their ballots for 28 positions in the central DUCSU body and 13 positions in each hall union. A total of 471 candidates are contesting for the central union posts, while 1,035 candidates from 18 residential halls are running in the hall union elections. This means each voter will elect representatives for 41 positions.
Meanwhile, the university administration has taken strict security measures surrounding the polls. A three-tier security ring has been set up at every centre. To ensure transparency in vote counting, arrangements have been made to display results live on LED screens at the polling centres.
The university authorities stated that all necessary preparations have been completed to ensure a free, fair, and impartial election. Measures have also been taken to allow students to vote in a peaceful environment.
To ensure the smooth conduct of the DUCSU election, a large number of police and members of other law enforcement agencies have been deployed at the campus entrances since Monday night. Alongside the police, BNCC members and student volunteers responsible for maintaining campus discipline have also been stationed there.
Security has been tightened at the polling centres. A temporary police camp has been set up in the TSC area, while dog squads and bomb disposal units have also been deployed across the campus.