90 years of Dhaka University
No students’ elections in DU for 20 years
No Dhaka University Central Students’ Union elections for more than 21 years have prevented the university students from exercising their democratic rights to elect leaders to represent their interest and from organising extracurricular activities important for their development, academics claimed.
It has, in particular, meant that five seats, reserved for students at the university’s decision-making body, the senate, to be able to press their demands have remained vacant.
DUCSU elections were last held in June 1990 when candidates nominated by Jatiaytabadi Chhatra Dal were elected.
Although elected for just a year, the leaders elected at the time remained unofficially in power till 1998 when the university authorities dissolved the committee.
Although since then the university authorities have time and again promised to hold the elections, none have taken place.
The absence of DUCSU elections is considered to be particularly significant because leaders of most of the students’ organisations are said to be more interested in winning government tenders and exercising control over the campus than organising action for better educational facilities.
Since 1990, the university authorities have realised about Tk 10 crore to pay for the holding of the DUCSU elections and hall union elections.
The Communist Party of Bangladesh general secretary, Mujahidul Islam Selim, also a former DUCSU vice-president, told New Age said that he thought lack of healthy cultural and sports activities had spread plundering, consumerism, exhibitionism, commercialisation and criminalisation among the students.
‘Organising elections to DUCSU will definitely have a positive impact on restoring accountability of students’ organisations to the students and democratic rights to them,’ he said.
Nazrul Islam, a former chairman of the University Grants Commission, agreed with him saying that the lack of elections prompted the leaders of most of the students’ organisations to dominate the campus with
muscle power instead of mobilising student support.
Others pointed to the positive benefits of the extracurricular activities that DUCSU used to organise.
Siddikur Rahman, a professor in the Institute of Education and Research, said, ‘Co-curricular activities are as important for students as classroom teaching.
‘To promote proper mental and physical development and socialisation of students within the university and to foster spirit of cooperation among the students, co-curricular activities are essential.’
Professor emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury also said that that absence of cultural activities and sports was not good for students.
The lack of the university’s involvement in certain sporting activities is also blamed on lack of DUCSU elections.
The university has not participated in any national sports event in three years, according to an official of the Physical Education Centre of the university.
The DU cricket team participated in the national cricket championship last in the 2006–07 session and swimmers have not taken part in the national swimming competition since the 2007–08 session.
The university had previously played a central role in all national movements, including the language movement of 1952, education commission movement of 1962, six-point movement of 1966, mass uprising against the autocratic rule of Pakistan and 11-point movement in 1969 leading to the war of independence in 1971.
During the war of independence, an unaccounted number of students, 14 teachers, one officer and 26 employees of the university lost their lives at the hands of Pakistani army and their collaborators.
After the independence, the government promulgated the University of Dhaka Order 1973 which resulted in democratic norms and autonomy becoming integral features of the institution.
The University of Dhaka also played an important role in expediting the downfall of autocratic regime in 1990.
Avinue Kibria Islam, president of the university unit Bangladesh Chhatra Union, said that DUCSU used to hold week-long literary and cultural programmes, accord reception to freshers and bring out magazines and other publication with the participation students, which helped to create vibrant cultural environment on the campus.
The students are also deprived of raising their voice in the senate because of the absence of DUCSU leadership, he said.
Snehehardi Chakrabarty, president of the university unit Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, said that the absence of DUCSU and hall unions was seriously hampering student activities on the campus.
Both Avinue and Snehehardi alleged that university authorities were not sincere about arranging DUCSU elections for fear of losing their authority in making decisions in the senate.
In the absence of cultural and sports activities, many students were taking part in anti-social activities such as stalking, theft and drug abuse, they said.
Asked about the absence of DUCSU, the university’s vice-chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique said they were trying to hold DUCSU elections.
He said that the reason for a reduction in sporting and cultural activities was not to do with lack of DUCSU elections but the introduction of the semester system which has resulted in more academic pressure on students.
The university regularly organises cultural and sports programme from the money realised from students, he said.
-With New Age input
