Major problems ignored; no sign of next election

Elections to Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) were held exactly a year ago with contesting panels pledging to take initiatives to curb accommodation crisis at the dormitories and to improve the food quality of dorm canteens.

As the tenure of the one-year committee nears its end, the present scenario of the residential crisis and food quality bear testament to the fact that the promises remained largely ignored, while students say they are disappointed as Ducsu has failed to meet their expectations.

The first elections to Ducsu in 28 years were held on March 11 last year, amid allegations of irregularities and vote rigging. The Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL)-led panel won 23 posts, including that of the general secretary, while the posts of vice-president and social service secretary were won by Bangladesh Sadharan Chhatra Adhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad.

Reviewing electoral manifestos of the two panels, it became clear that most of their pledges were not fulfilled, and in some cases, completely ignored.

"We will play effective roles to extend dormitories, construct new buildings by breaking old ones and recover lands that have been seized by others," reads the manifesto of the BCL-nominated panel.

However, no visible steps were taken by Ducsu leaders to curb the residential crisis.

Dormitories at the university are still plagued with severe accommodation shortage, with many freshers and sophomores still living in congested gono [public] rooms, where over 30 students live in a room meant for four beds. Some even sleep in the corridors and rooftops, and mosques adjacent to the dorms.

Also, the "guest room" culture still prevails at the dorms, where ruling party men torture general students in the name of "teaching manners and etiquette".

On January 22, BCL men of DU's Sergeant Zahurul Haq Hall tortured four students at the guest room, drove them out of the dorm and subsequently handed them over to law enforcers.

Bangladesh Sadharan Chhatra Adhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad pledged to oust outsiders and non-students, and take measures to allot seats to fresher students. They too failed to fulfil it. Ducsu VP Nurul Haque Nur was confined at the Salimullah Muslim Hall and assaulted on April 2 last year, after he went there to oust non-students and outsiders.

Talking to The Daily Star, Reza Islam Shuvo, a final year student of the marketing department, said Ducsu leaders ignored the major problems that have been gripping the university for a long time and were busy in holding programmes which were of little value to students.

The BCL panel had also promised to introduce health insurance, monitor food quality and increase subsidy at canteens, establish a Liberation War Research Institute, introduce teachers' evaluation, renovate the central library and take steps to shut down evening courses at the university.

Health insurances were introduced at only three departments, prices of food items at canteens have been fixed but the quality has not been improved and no subsidy was given, while a Liberation War Research Institute has not been built.

Talking to The Daily Star, Ducsu Assistant General Secretary from the BCL panel Saddam Hussain said, "Authorities have already taken initiatives to build new dorms to resolve the accommodation crisis as per our demand. We have brought three departments under health insurance, and are working to bring all students under insurance. Several departments cancelled illogical development fees in light of our demands and pressed university authorities to shut down evening courses."

Admitting the "gono room" and "guest room" malpractices, he said the acute accommodation crisis is responsible for the problems, and it would be solved once new dormitories are built.

FATE OF FUTURE DUCSU POLLS

Since no visible steps were taken to arrange the next Ducsu polls, and the tenure of the current committee will be completed in 11 days, the term of the incumbent committee is likely to be extended by 90 days, as per the charter.

Section C of article 6 of the Ducsu constitution says, "The elected office bearers shall hold office for 365 days. In case the election is not held in time, the elected office bearers shall continue for a further period not exceeding 90 days or till holding of the election, whichever is earlier, after which the union shall stand dissolved automatically."

Several Ducsu representatives told The Daily Star they will hold a meeting to extend the deadline by 90 days.

VP Nurul Haque Noor said they are yet to get any clear version from the authorities regarding extension of current committee's tenure and holding the next election.

"After talking to the VC several times, I realised he is not interested at the moment in holding the polls. He told me huge arrangements are needed to hold the elections. Perhaps he is not getting the green signal as well from the government side in this regard," Nur told The Daily Star.

Contacted, DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman said they are yet to pay any attention to next election, and the issue is "a matter of discussion".