DUCSU, DU administration at odds over projects, funding, and representation

A fresh dispute over the installation of air conditioners at Dhaka University's Central Mosque has brought renewed attention to the tensions between the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) and the university administration, with several development projects reportedly stalled amid disagreements.

On July 2, the university's official Facebook page issued a statement alleging that DUCSU had installed 21 five-ton air conditioners at the Central Mosque without obtaining prior approval from the university authorities or assessing the electrical capacity required to operate the units.

According to the statement, the mosque currently lacks an electrical substation and service cables capable of supporting such a cooling system.

"Under the current circumstances, providing an electrical connection to these air conditioners poses a serious risk of major accidents, including fire hazards. It could also disrupt the power supply to the Central Library, the Faculty of Social Sciences building, and other adjacent buildings," the statement said.

Later that day, DUCSU Career Development Secretary Mazharul Islam rejected the administration's claims in a Facebook post, arguing that the 1,800-kilowatt substation serving the Faculty of Social Sciences is sufficient to operate the mosque's air conditioners, which, he said, require only around 200 kilowatts of electricity.

Mazharul also maintained that the mosque renovation project had received institutional backing, claiming that former Vice-Chancellor Professor Niaz Ahmed Khan had inaugurated the renovation work and that current Treasurer Professor Jahangir Alam had inspected the project during its implementation.

The exchange is the latest in a series of public disagreements between DUCSU and the university administration since the current student union leadership assumed office.

Projects face delays

DUCSU leaders allege that at least three major projects have been delayed due to administrative hurdles: the renovation of the Central Mosque, redevelopment of the university's central playground, and inauguration of a newly built gymnasium for female students.

DUCSU Sports Secretary Arman Hossain said the Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) transferred 2 crore taka to the university in February for renovating the central playground.

According to him, the initial oversight committee did not include any DUCSU representative. Following repeated demands from the student union, a DUCSU member was later added, but the committee's first meeting was not held until April 30.

During that meeting, the committee decided to conduct a digital survey of the playground before beginning renovation work. Arman alleged that although the survey would take only two days to complete, it had not been carried out even after more than two months.

He noted that the university Treasurer serves as chairperson of the committee.

Arman also said DUCSU had secured sponsorship from a private company to establish a modern gymnasium for female students at an estimated cost of Tk 65 lakh.

Although construction has been completed, he claimed, the facility has remained unopened for nearly two months because of delays in its formal inauguration.

Bureaucracy and resource constraints

When asked about the delays, Treasurer Professor Jahangir Alam referred inquiries to the university's Director of Accounts.

Director of Accounts Saiful Islam praised DUCSU for undertaking several positive initiatives but declined to comment on budgetary matters, saying such decisions fall under the authority of the Vice-Chancellor and Treasurer.

Vice-Chancellor Professor A.B.M. Obaidul Islam acknowledged that Bangladesh's administrative system often slows decision-making because files must pass through multiple levels before receiving approval.

"Sometimes our aspirations exceed our financial capacity," he said. "Limited resources compel us to proceed more slowly in certain cases and to modify policies when necessary. If any specific individual is obstructing progress, DUCSU should engage with that person directly. Not every issue can be resolved solely by the Vice-Chancellor."

Asked whether the university has a formal policy securing sponsorships from government agencies or private organizations, the Vice-Chancellor said he was unaware of any written policy but noted that the university regularly receives external sponsorships in practice.

Budget and representation concerns

The current, 38th DUCSU committee is scheduled to complete its tenure in September after the student panel backed by Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir won nearly all the posts in last September's election.

In January, DUCSU leaders claimed at a press briefing that they had completed 225 initiatives across 33 sectors despite what they described as a lack of cooperation from the university administration.

Relations between the two sides became more complicated following changes in the university administration after the BNP-led government assumed office following the national election in February.

In June, during a Senate meeting, DUCSU Vice-President Abu Shadik Kayem alleged that the student union had received only Tk 25 lakh in funding over the past several months, despite the university collecting more than Tk 1.2 crore annually from students for DUCSU-related purposes.

DUCSU Literature and Cultural Affairs Secretary Musaddiq Ali Ibn Mohammad raised similar concerns, saying limited funding had restricted the union's activities.

"The previous literature and culture secretary had a budget of Tk 30 lakh, whereas I have received only Tk 1 lakh," he told Daily Waadaa. "Although I have fulfilled all the commitments in my election manifesto, I could have accomplished much more with adequate funding."

DUCSU leaders also alleged that student representatives are increasingly being excluded from university committees.

International Affairs Secretary Khan Mohammad Jasim claimed the administration has not provided sufficient cooperation in various matters and often fails to include elected student representatives in meetings and seminars where they are expected to participate.

Sports Secretary Arman Hossain made similar allegations, saying student representatives are frequently left out of sports-related committees despite directives from the Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Treasurer.

However, a university official at the Physical Education Center, speaking on condition of anonymity, offered a different explanation. The official said that because DUCSU had remained inactive for many years, university administrators had become unaccustomed to including student representatives in committees.

According to the official, the omission stems more from long-standing administrative practice than from deliberate attempts to sideline DUCSU.