Thursday, 04 September, 2025
As voter rolls expand and competition intensifies, female students are emerging as potential game-changers in the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election.
With the polls approaching, these students are not only enthusiastic but increasingly vocal about their priorities. They are raising concerns over residential halls, academics, and the broader campus environment.
Among hall residents, key issues include overcrowding, substandard canteen food, double rooming, lack of cleanliness, and campus safety. Non-residential students, meanwhile, are advocating for more campus buses and greater opportunities to participate in hall-based activities.
After a hiatus of over six years, Dhaka University is set to hold DUCSU and hall union elections on 9 September. This year’s electorate totals 39,874 students, including 18,959 women, up from 16,312 in 2019 when the total voter count was 43,255.
Female students are also making their presence felt as candidates. Out of 471 contenders vying for 28 DUCSU posts, women are contesting 62 positions, including key roles such as vice president, general secretary, assistant general secretary, and several editorial positions. Their active participation signals a shift in campus politics, with women increasingly shaping the dialogue and direction of student governance.
Hall unions are also holding elections for 13 key posts, including vice president and general secretary, across five female and 13 male halls.
In 2019, only 28 women contested five prominent positions out of 229 candidates — roughly one female candidate per 586 students. This year, the ratio has improved significantly to one candidate per 306 female students, reflecting growing participation. In the current cycle, 185 students are vying for 13 seats across the five women’s halls.
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As voter rolls expand and competition intensifies, female students are emerging as potential game-changers in the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election.
With the polls approaching, these students are not only enthusiastic but increasingly vocal about their priorities. They are raising concerns over residential halls, academics, and the broader campus environment.
Among hall residents, key issues include overcrowding, substandard canteen food, double rooming, lack of cleanliness, and campus safety. Non-residential students, meanwhile, are advocating for more campus buses and greater opportunities to participate in hall-based activities.
After a hiatus of over six years, Dhaka University is set to hold DUCSU and hall union elections on 9 September. This year’s electorate totals 39,874 students, including 18,959 women, up from 16,312 in 2019 when the total voter count was 43,255.
Female students are also making their presence felt as candidates. Out of 471 contenders vying for 28 DUCSU posts, women are contesting 62 positions, including key roles such as vice president, general secretary, assistant general secretary, and several editorial positions. Their active participation signals a shift in campus politics, with women increasingly shaping the dialogue and direction of student governance.
Hall unions are also holding elections for 13 key posts, including vice president and general secretary, across five female and 13 male halls.
In 2019, only 28 women contested five prominent positions out of 229 candidates — roughly one female candidate per 586 students. This year, the ratio has improved significantly to one candidate per 306 female students, reflecting growing participation. In the current cycle, 185 students are vying for 13 seats across the five women’s halls.
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