DUCSU’s Regular One-Year Term Ends, Leaders May Continue for Up to 90 More Days

The current DUCSU committee completed its one-year term last Monday. However, the university administration has yet to announce a schedule for the next election. As a result, under the provisions of the constitution, the current leaders may remain in office for an additional 90 days. Their tenure will end earlier if the schedule for a new election is announced before then.

 

According to sub-clause (c) of Article 6 of the DUCSU constitution, elected office-bearers serve for 365 days. If an election is not held within the stipulated period, the elected members may continue for an additional 90 days or until the election is held, whichever comes first. After that, DUCSU will automatically be dissolved.

 

However, during this extended period after the regular term expires, the responsibilities of the current DUCSU leaders will be limited to routine activities. They will not be authorized to make any major or policy-level decisions.

 

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Dhaka University Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Mohammad Al-Mojaddedi Alfezani said DUCSU leaders would have no authority to make decisions during this period. They would only be able to carry out official work. They could complete only those important tasks for which documents had already been signed and whose completion was necessary to avoid complications.

 

Until a new election is held, the current elected DUCSU leaders may continue to serve as members of the university Senate, provided they remain students of the university.

 

The current elected representatives have demanded that the Dhaka University administration announce the schedule for the next DUCSU election as soon as possible. On Tuesday afternoon, DUCSU leaders went to the vice-chancellor’s office to meet with him. However, as the vice-chancellor had left for a visit to China, they conveyed their demand to Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Mohammad Al-Mojaddedi Alfezani instead.

 

After the meeting, DUCSU General Secretary (GS) S M Farhad told journalists that the current DUCSU committee completed its regular one-year term on September 14. According to the DUCSU constitution, if an election schedule is not announced, the current committee’s tenure can automatically be extended by another three months. However, he said, they do not want their tenure to be extended and have instead urged the administration to announce the election schedule promptly.

 

Referring to the fact that the administration has not provided any specific timeline for the DUCSU election, Farhad said the administration had once again given the same vague response: “We are trying; we will let you know.”

 

Although the current DUCSU’s regular term has ended, the university administration has yet to announce a date or schedule for the next election. DUCSU leaders had demanded that the new election schedule be announced on the very day the current committee’s term expired.

 

Regarding when the next DUCSU election will be held, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Professor Mohammad Al-Mojaddedi Alfezani told Prothom Alo on Wednesday that the university administration is fully committed to holding the election. He said the administration wants DUCSU to remain functional.

 

Professor Alfezani said a meeting had already been held involving the university’s top four administrators and the provosts of all the residential halls. Necessary instructions were given to the provosts at the meeting. They were asked to consult with the various active student organizations in their respective halls and submit their proposals. At the same time, the university administration will hold separate meetings with the different student organizations active at Dhaka University.

 

Professor Alfezani further said the administration wants a larger number of major student organizations to participate in the election and help make DUCSU effective. He said that once all the student organizations, based on their respective proposals, jointly and unanimously ask the administration to announce the DUCSU election schedule, the schedule will be announced. The administration is currently working toward that goal.