Dhaka: Dhaka University held its first meeting on Thursday to prepare for the upcoming Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election. The administration emphasized the importance of consulting students and active student organizations, as well as evaluating the conditions at the university’s residential halls, before finalizing the election process.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the meeting commenced at approximately 3pm and saw the participation of Vice-Chancellor Dr. A B M Obaidul Islam, two pro-vice-chancellors, the proctor, and provosts from various residential halls. The Vice-Chancellor highlighted the key topics discussed, including the necessary steps to conduct the election and which stakeholders need to be engaged in the process.
Dr. Islam stated, “Students are stakeholders, so we need to sit down with the students and with the various active student organizations. We also need to meet with the disciplinary council.” The administration has tasked hall provosts with assessing their respective halls and reporting their findings back to the university administration. Meetings at the hall level will precede the submission of these reports.
In addition, the university administration plans to engage with different student organizations as part of their preparations. “These are the matters we’re currently focused on, and we’ll soon begin meeting with the various organizations one by one,” Dr. Islam added.
The meeting followed a discussion between the vice-chancellor and Prime Minister Tarique Rahman earlier that day at the Secretariat. During the meeting, they addressed DUCSU and other relevant issues. The prime minister provided guidance on proceeding with the DUCSU election and encouraged the university administration to take the necessary actions.
Dr. Islam noted, “He is also very keen about student leadership, since the students of today are the future – he gave me guidance on that front as well.” The primary purpose of the meeting with the prime minister was to update him on the university’s development projects and its 20-year plan, as well as to invite him to the university’s convocation scheduled for January.
Regarding the election schedule, the university has yet to finalize a timeline for the 2026 DUCSU election. “We haven’t made a decision on that yet. We’re still reviewing it – that hasn’t been finalized yet,” the Vice-Chancellor mentioned.
As per Article 6(c) of the DUCSU constitution, elected office-bearers hold office for 365 days. If an election is not conducted within that period, they may continue for up to an additional 90 days or until the election occurs, whichever is sooner. The current DUCSU committee assumed office on September 14 last year, and its tenure is nearing its conclusion, with the constitution allowing it to continue until December 14 if the election is not held within the original term.