Wednesday, 27 August, 2025
Held a year after the student-led July Uprising shook the nation’s political landscape, the DUCSU election has seen a sharp decline in male voters alongside a surge in female voters and candidates, marking a historic shift in campus leadership dynamics.
A record 471 students, including 62 women, are contesting the election, marking the largest pool of candidates in DUCSU’s history. The increase is particularly notable in key leadership positions, with women contesting posts traditionally dominated by men. The figures represent a sharp departure from the 2019 DUCSU election, when 229 candidates, including just 28 women, vied for 25 union posts.
While the number of male voters has declined by 22.37 percent, the number of male candidates has risen by 103.48 percent. Female voters have increased by 16.22 percent, and female candidates have surged 121.43 percent. The largest field of candidates is in the VP race, with 45 contenders, followed by 25 for AGS and 19 for GS. Other posts, including Liberation War and democratic movement secretary, science and technology, literature and culture, and human rights and law, have attracted between 9 and 17 candidates each.
This year, students are contesting for vice-president (VP), general secretary (GS), assistant general secretary (AGS), and other major posts, as well as 13 hall union positions. The ratio of female candidates to voters has improved significantly, narrowing from one candidate per 586 female voters in 2019 to one per 306 in 2025. Among male students, the ratio now stands at one candidate per 51 voters, compared with one per 134 in the last election.
By the August 19 deadline, 509 nomination papers were filed, with 38 later rejected. The final list confirms 62 female candidates spread across 16 different posts. Among them, Umama Fatema leads the Independent Students’ Unity panel for VP, while Sheikh Tasnim Afroze Emi heads the Resistance Council panel. For GS, Sabina Yasmin is the sole female candidate, representing the DUCSU for Change panel. In the AGS category, candidates include Aditi Islam, Ashrefa Khatun, Fateha Sharmin Annie, and Sanjana Afifa Aditi.
Nine panels, including independent candidates, are contesting the election. The Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal-backed panel features Abidul Islam Khan for VP, Tanvir Bari Hamim for GS, and Tanvir Al Hadi Mayed for AGS. The left-wing coalition Protirodh Parshad panel includes Emi for VP, Meghmallar Basu for GS, and Jabir Ahmed Jubel for AGS. Independent panels, as well as groups backed by Jamaat and other student organisations, have also entered the race.
Since its founding over a century ago, DU has held 37 student union elections, including 29 during the British and Pakistan eras. However, only eight DUCSU elections have taken place in the 53 years since Bangladesh’s independence, despite the 1973 ordinance mandating annual polls. The 2019 election was the first in over three decades, leaving the university Senate without student representation for six years.
The 2024 July Uprising, which toppled the long-dominant Awami League-affiliated Chhatra League, paved the way for freer student politics and intensified calls for DUCSU elections. The university administration responded by committing to hold polls, formally announced on July 29, with voting scheduled for September 9 across eight polling centres. While some panels argue the number of centres is insufficient for over 39,000 registered students, Returning Officer Prof Kazi Maruful Islam assured that logistics had been carefully reviewed and adjustments would be considered if needed.
Campaigning officially began on Tuesday, with panels launching activities across faculties and halls. The left-leaning Protirodh Parshad paid floral tributes at the Central Shaheed Minar before moving through multiple faculties, led by VP candidate Emi, GS candidate Meghmallar, and AGS candidate Jabir. The Jamaat-backed Oikkoboddho Shikkharthi Jote began from the central mosque, while Independent Students’ Unity launched its campaign at the July Memorial, visiting halls and libraries to engage students. The BNP-backed Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal panel and DUCSU for Change also began outreach at university landmarks, including the VC Chattar and Mall Chattar.
Security measures have been intensified, with BNCC members and the proctorial team deployed on the eve of voting and on polling day. Police and Army units will be stationed at key entry points to ensure smooth and safe conduct of the elections, while special bus services will facilitate participation of non-residential students.
Returning Officer Prof Kazi Maruful Islam expressed confidence in a peaceful and fair election, highlighting the unprecedented enthusiasm among students. “If this spirit of harmony and mutual respect continues, we will witness a free and fair election,” he said.
The 2025 DUCSU election marks not only a revival of student representation but also a historic moment for women’s participation and broader pluralism in campus politics, signalling a potential shift in leadership dynamics at Dhaka University for years to come.
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Held a year after the student-led July Uprising shook the nation’s political landscape, the DUCSU election has seen a sharp decline in male voters alongside a surge in female voters and candidates, marking a historic shift in campus leadership dynamics.
A record 471 students, including 62 women, are contesting the election, marking the largest pool of candidates in DUCSU’s history. The increase is particularly notable in key leadership positions, with women contesting posts traditionally dominated by men. The figures represent a sharp departure from the 2019 DUCSU election, when 229 candidates, including just 28 women, vied for 25 union posts.
While the number of male voters has declined by 22.37 percent, the number of male candidates has risen by 103.48 percent. Female voters have increased by 16.22 percent, and female candidates have surged 121.43 percent. The largest field of candidates is in the VP race, with 45 contenders, followed by 25 for AGS and 19 for GS. Other posts, including Liberation War and democratic movement secretary, science and technology, literature and culture, and human rights and law, have attracted between 9 and 17 candidates each.
This year, students are contesting for vice-president (VP), general secretary (GS), assistant general secretary (AGS), and other major posts, as well as 13 hall union positions. The ratio of female candidates to voters has improved significantly, narrowing from one candidate per 586 female voters in 2019 to one per 306 in 2025. Among male students, the ratio now stands at one candidate per 51 voters, compared with one per 134 in the last election.
By the August 19 deadline, 509 nomination papers were filed, with 38 later rejected. The final list confirms 62 female candidates spread across 16 different posts. Among them, Umama Fatema leads the Independent Students’ Unity panel for VP, while Sheikh Tasnim Afroze Emi heads the Resistance Council panel. For GS, Sabina Yasmin is the sole female candidate, representing the DUCSU for Change panel. In the AGS category, candidates include Aditi Islam, Ashrefa Khatun, Fateha Sharmin Annie, and Sanjana Afifa Aditi.
Nine panels, including independent candidates, are contesting the election. The Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal-backed panel features Abidul Islam Khan for VP, Tanvir Bari Hamim for GS, and Tanvir Al Hadi Mayed for AGS. The left-wing coalition Protirodh Parshad panel includes Emi for VP, Meghmallar Basu for GS, and Jabir Ahmed Jubel for AGS. Independent panels, as well as groups backed by Jamaat and other student organisations, have also entered the race.
Since its founding over a century ago, DU has held 37 student union elections, including 29 during the British and Pakistan eras. However, only eight DUCSU elections have taken place in the 53 years since Bangladesh’s independence, despite the 1973 ordinance mandating annual polls. The 2019 election was the first in over three decades, leaving the university Senate without student representation for six years.
The 2024 July Uprising, which toppled the long-dominant Awami League-affiliated Chhatra League, paved the way for freer student politics and intensified calls for DUCSU elections. The university administration responded by committing to hold polls, formally announced on July 29, with voting scheduled for September 9 across eight polling centres. While some panels argue the number of centres is insufficient for over 39,000 registered students, Returning Officer Prof Kazi Maruful Islam assured that logistics had been carefully reviewed and adjustments would be considered if needed.
Campaigning officially began on Tuesday, with panels launching activities across faculties and halls. The left-leaning Protirodh Parshad paid floral tributes at the Central Shaheed Minar before moving through multiple faculties, led by VP candidate Emi, GS candidate Meghmallar, and AGS candidate Jabir. The Jamaat-backed Oikkoboddho Shikkharthi Jote began from the central mosque, while Independent Students’ Unity launched its campaign at the July Memorial, visiting halls and libraries to engage students. The BNP-backed Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal panel and DUCSU for Change also began outreach at university landmarks, including the VC Chattar and Mall Chattar.
Security measures have been intensified, with BNCC members and the proctorial team deployed on the eve of voting and on polling day. Police and Army units will be stationed at key entry points to ensure smooth and safe conduct of the elections, while special bus services will facilitate participation of non-residential students.
Returning Officer Prof Kazi Maruful Islam expressed confidence in a peaceful and fair election, highlighting the unprecedented enthusiasm among students. “If this spirit of harmony and mutual respect continues, we will witness a free and fair election,” he said.
The 2025 DUCSU election marks not only a revival of student representation but also a historic moment for women’s participation and broader pluralism in campus politics, signalling a potential shift in leadership dynamics at Dhaka University for years to come.
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