THE Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election is not taking place over the past 28 years after the last election held in 1990. As a result the varsity students remained deprived of their right to elect their representatives. Not only that, they are not getting any scope to run the university in absence of their representatives in the 105-member Senate. It is significant that, DUCSU has five-member representation in the Senate who are entitled to vote to elect VCs and other functionaries. They are also designated representatives of students to resolve students’ problems in consultation with VCs. Without DUCSU election, there is none to protest manifold irregularities and corruption in the varsity.
The absence of DUCSU and other central student bodies’ elections in public universities has come in the form of shutting the door of creating new generation leadership. Unfortunately, it is the almost common scenario in the public universities. The private universities don’t allow student body in their campuses. The vacuum is so far reaching now that students denied of creative activities. On the other hand, the ruling party backed student cadres are holding control of the campus denying access to activists of their rival groups.
DUCSU leadership had played the most pioneering role in organizing unflinching protest against the repressive regime of Pakistani rulers that ended in the creation of independent Bangladesh. Dhaka University created so many charismatic national leaders in the past but the door is now almost totally shut. It seems political party leaders – be it in the government or in the opposition –are afraid of positive student politics. They want to use the young force as muscle men to protect power.
Student politics has presented powerful leaders in every national crisis. But the nation is now facing crisis of competent leadership that DUCSU has always produced. We think, students of Dhaka University will come forward in the need of their country.
