No Student Group Fields Full Panel in All Dhaka University Halls

For the first time, no student organisation has managed to submit a complete panel for all residence halls at Dhaka University. The university has 18 halls in total, including five for female students. Of these, the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) succeeded in forming full panels in 14 halls at most. Other organisations, such as Islami Chhatra Shibir and Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad, did not field any complete panels.

Each hall council has 13 posts—including vice president (VP) and general secretary (GS)—adding up to 234 positions across the halls. This year, 1,108 valid nomination papers were submitted, according to the initial scrutiny.

Leaders from Shibir-backed Oikyabaddha Shikkharthi Jote and Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad-backed Boishommo Birodhi Shikkharthi Sangsad said their choice not to form panels was a calculated electoral strategy. Still, both groups confirmed they would lend support to individual candidates contesting the hall elections.

Debate Over Student Politics in Halls

The absence of full panels has reignited discussions about whether party politics should continue within the residential halls—and, if it does, in what form. Students and observers are questioning how acceptable party-backed panels are in the context of hall council elections.

On 8 August, protests broke out over Chhatra Dal’s hall committee formation. Leaders of Shibir, Islami Chhatree Sanghastha, and Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad were reportedly active in the demonstration.

In light of this, leaders of both Shibir and Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad argue that running party panels could, to some degree, validate student politics inside the halls.

SM Farhad, Dhaka University unit president of Chhatra Shibir and a GS candidate in the DUCSU polls, explained: “We had urged the administration to seek students’ opinions on whether politics should be allowed in the halls. That could have led to a formal framework. But since students remain hesitant, we decided not to field full panels. Still, we are in touch with many individuals, and we may extend support to both our members and independent candidates.”

Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad leaders have adopted a similar stance. Central convenor Abu Baker Majumdar, also a GS candidate in DUCSU, said: “Many of our activists are participating in the hall councils. They have coordinated with other students and created understandings that effectively work like a panel, even though we did not officially announce one.”

Chhatra Dal Manages Panels in 14 Halls

Chhatra Dal announced full panels in 13 male halls and one female hall—Ruqayyah Hall. In other female halls, they fielded partial slates: nine candidates in Kabi Sufia Kamal Hall, three in Bangladesh–Kuwait Maitree Hall, six in Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall, and five in Shamsun Nahar Hall. However, they confirmed that they have candidates for the VP and GS posts in all of these.

Explaining the difficulty in putting forward full female panels, Chhatra Dal central general secretary Nasir Uddin said: “We do have leaders and activists in every hall, but many chose not to run for personal reasons.”

He also criticised rival groups for running under the guise of “independent” students: “Some members of Chhatri Sangstha are operating under the cover of general students. They spread confusion in the name of Chhatra Dal and sometimes instigate groups against us. This is their covert style of politics, and it should be avoided.”