The Supreme Court Appellate Division has upheld its chamber judge's order that stayed the High Court order halting the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election, effectively allowing the polls to proceed on September 9.

A bench led by Chief Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed issued the order on Wednesday (September 3).

Earlier, on September 1, a High Court bench of Justice Habibul Gani and Justice Sheikh Tahsin Ali stayed the election process until October 30 after hearing a writ petition challenging the candidacy of a general secretary contender. 

Later that same day, Dhaka University’s vice-chancellor sought urgent intervention from the chamber judge, who granted an interim suspension of the High Court’s order pending a civil miscellaneous petition (CMP).

The vice-chancellor filed the CMP on Tuesday, which was then placed before Chamber Judge Justice Farah Mahbub, who referred it for hearing in the regular Appellate Division bench on Wednesday. The chamber court’s temporary stay on the High Court ruling was extended until then.

The writ petition was filed by BM Fahmida Alam, a candidate for the Liberation War and Democratic Movements secretary post from the left alliance panel, challenging the eligibility of SM Farhad, the BNP-backed general secretary candidate. The petition alleged Farhad was previously affiliated with the ruling Awami League’s student wing before joining the BNP-supported panel.

With the legal hurdles now cleared, DUCSU voting is scheduled for September 9. According to the final list published on August 26, a total of 471 candidates are contesting across 28 posts. This includes 45 for vice-president, 19 for general secretary, and 25 for assistant general secretary. The largest contest is for member positions, with 217 candidates vying for seats.

Sadiq Kayem, from the BNP-backed panel, is running for vice president, while SM Farhad is contesting the general secretary post.

SMS/