The Dhaka University authority has sought a stay on the High Court order that requires the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union election to be held within six months of Jan 17.
The authority submitted a new appeal to the Supreme Court, via the Attorney General’s Office on Sunday, said Advocate Manzil Morshed.
Morshed represents a group of students who filed a writ petition six years ago, securing a High Court order on Jan 17 that instructed the DUCSU election to be held within six months.
Morshed recently sent a legal notice to the DU authority as no preparation of the DUCSU election was seen in the past seven months. He also filed a complaint of contempt of the court against the DU authority including its vice-chancellor on Sept 12.
The university authority is working to hold the DUCSU election and hall council election by March next year, Vice-Chancellor Prof Akhtaruzzaman told the media after he met the leaders of student organisations on the campus on Sunday.
A group of 25 students had filed the writ petition in 2012 to compel the administration to hold DUCSU elections, which had been deferred for over two decades.
The court had issued a rule asking why the failure to hold DUCSU election will not be considered illegal. Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Deputy Attorney General Amit Talukdar represented the Dhaka University during the petition hearing.
DUSCU began its journey the year after Dhaka University was established in 1921. Initially DUCSU officials had been selected indirectly, but the body began to set appointment by direct student vote after Bangladesh’s independence.
DUCSU and other Dhaka University student leaders were at the forefront of the Language Movement, the Education Movement, the 1969 coup, and the Independence Movement. Since independence, Dhaka University students have also played a significant role in protests for democracy and against tyranny.
Though DUCSU elections are to be held every year, there have only been six since independence. The last election was held on Jun 6, 1990. Though efforts were made several times, no election has been held since. (bdnews24.com)
