Why Shibir's landslide victory did not translate to success for DUCSU

After the July mass uprising in 2024, the election for Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) was another significant demand for the students of Dhaka University as the official student body was ineffective for the last many years. Students thought, if DUCSU becomes effective, then their demands will meet reality and the persisting crisis will be solved. 

However, even after getting an elected DUCSU committee through an exciting and hard-fought election in September 2025, the university still remains plagued with many of its old problems including accommodation crisis, unhealthy  and tasteless food in canteens, and a lack of comprehensive security on campus.

In the election held last September, an Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed panel caused a storm by winning 25 out of 28 posts up for grabs - an unprecedented mandate for the student wing of the Jamaat e Islami. The panel presented a comprehensive manifesto before the election including a safe campus for female students, solutions to the accommodation crisis, and ensuring healthy food and many others. 

However, many students are saying now that the panel failed to fulfill their promises. Each of the three major crises still persist at the university.  

Recently, rubber band, earthworm, cockroach, blade and insects have been found in food served in various halls' canteens in the university. The students are saying that consuming such poor quality food not only makes them sick but also puts them at risk of long-term malnutrition. 

Though the head of canteens at the university blamed inflation as the cause of these occurrences, according to the students, poor service, lack of proper supervision and lack of accountability are the main reasons. 

Visits to the different canteens by UNB's campus correspondent revealed that the cooking environment is damp and unhygienic in almost all of the hall canteens. Besides, low quality ingredients are purchased and tasting salt is used in curry - a practice that is frowned upon. 

The elected DUCSU panel promised to ensure safe and healthy food, introduce low-cost nutritious menus in halls and cafeterias under the supervision of nutritionists and conduct food quality checks every three months, as well as establishing quality cafeterias and canteens in every hall and introducing 'Meal Vouchers' provided by the administration for financially struggling students. Yet, these promises have not been fully met. Although the hall unions often monitor the canteens, the food crisis is a burning issue in the campus.

Noby Hossain Majumdar, a resident student of Surja Sen Hall said, "Despite DUCSU's commitments to ensure safe and healthy food for students, the situation in the hall canteens remains largely unchanged. The food served in the hall canteens is often of such poor quality that students have little choice but to eat it because of limited affordable alternatives. We have repeatedly found insects and other unhygienic materials in our meals."

Accommodation crisis
The panel led by Shadik Kayem and S.M. Forhad, who revealed themselves as the leaders of Shibir's clandestine organisation at DU following the July Uprising of 2024, pledged to initiate the construction of new halls as part of a permanent, long-term solution to the students' accommodation crisis. In the short term, they planned to arrange hostels or monthly housing allowances in coordination with the university and private institutions. In reality, they've been able to do neither. 

Currently, more than 53 percent of Dhaka University students are deprived of resident status. Furthermore, the accommodation crisis is more acute in the female halls. There are just five halls for female students, even as female students outnumber their male counterparts in recent years.    �"UNB