M.Phil students can contest Ducsu polls, age-limit 30

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DHAKA, Jan 29, 2019 (BSS) – The Dhaka University syndicate today passed
the amended constitution of the Ducsu with a provision allowing M.Phil and
masters’ level students with maximum 30-year-old to be candidates in the
university’s central students’ union and hall union polls.

“The students must have a 4-year honors degree from the university to be
candidate in the election and their age limit should be maximum 30 years till
the announcement date of the polls schedule,” dean of Law Faculty and
syndicate member of the university Prof Rahmat Ullah told reporters after a
meeting of the syndicate today.

The amended constitution along with a fresh electoral code of conduct
was passed in the meeting at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban on the
campus this evening. The election to Ducsu and its hall unions will be held
on March 11 next.

Those who are studying in different evening courses, programmes,
professional, executive, special masters, diploma, MEd, PhD, DBA, language
courses, certificate courses or any such courses cannot be voters.

“The syndicate decided that the polling centres will be set up in
respective dormitories. The 21-member executive committee of Ducsu has been
extended to 25 in the amended constitution,” Prof Rahmat said.

He said students who are working at government or private or any
institutions at home or abroad cannot be voters. Students of the affiliated
and the constituent colleges of the university cannot be voters.

Prof Rahmat said as per the electoral code of conduct, no poster or
graffiti can be put on walls on the campus, but only black and white
handbills can be distributed.

Campaigners can carry out electioneering from 10 am to 12 midnight as
per the specified time of the polls schedule to be announced later, he added.

He said every voter is eligible to be candidate for the polls, but
students over 30-year-old cannot be voter.

DUCSU, which was once considered as a breeding ground of politics, was
last held on June 6, 1990. It was the sixth election after the country’s
independence.

On January 6, 2019, the Supreme Court gave the order clearing way for
holding the long-overdue and much-awaited Ducsu polls which is going to be
held after 28 years.

The university authorities formed the code of conduct formulation
committee, making its Pro-Vice Chancellor (academic) Prof Nasreen Ahmad as
convener on January 19 for the polls.

Earlier, on January 4, a five-member Ducsu constitution amendment
committee, headed by Prof Md Mizanur Rahman, was formed.

The authorities took recommendations from students’ bodies over the
constitutional amendment and formulation of the electoral code of conduct.

The Ducsu constitution was last amended in 1998.

After the inception of the Dhaka University in 1921, the Ducsu was formed
in 1924 and its first vice-president was nominated in the 1924-25 academic
session.

The vice-president was used to be nominated until 1953 when the first
elections were held.