DUCSU operates without funds as 35 years of accounts remain missing

Bangla Press Desk:   The newly elected leaders of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) have alleged that the student body has been operating without any funds and that there is no reliable record of its income and expenditure over the past 35 years.

Although DUCSU has been practically inactive since 1990, the university administration has reportedly failed to present any detailed account of the large amount of money collected annually from students under the DUCSU and Hall Sangsad fees.

According to university sources, students pay a total of TK36.60 lakh each year for DUCSU and hall unions, with half allocated to former and the other half to the latter.

Over the past six years (2019–2025), Tk2.16 crore has been collected from students, of which at least Tk1.80 crore should have been deposited in DUCSU’s account.

However, DUCSU’s current budget allocation is only Tk30 lakh, raising questions over the fate of the remaining funds.

University Treasurer Professor M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said, “We do not yet have specific information. A financial statement is being prepared showing how much money has been deposited for DUCSU and the hall unions and how it has been spent. It will be ready in a few days.”

DUCSU Treasurer and Chairman of the Finance Department, Professor HM Mosharraf Hossain, described the situation as “embarrassing,” saying, “DUCSU does not have a separate bank account. We are personally bearing the expenses to run its activities. DUCSU fees are treated as ‘own income’ in the university’s budget, which has created a lack of transparency and accountability.”

DUCSU Vice-President (VP) Abu Shadik Kayem said, “We have asked the administration for a complete account of the funds collected for DUCSU and hall unions from 1990 to 2019. We have also demanded that the audit report and accounts from 2019 to 2025 be transferred to DUCSU’s own account. But despite sending a letter three weeks ago, we have received no reply.”

He accused the university administration of concealing the financial records, warning, “If money meant for students’ welfare has been diverted to other sectors, those responsible must be held accountable. If necessary, we will take strict measures, including stopping the salaries of administrative officials.”

DUCSU General Secretary (GS) SM Farhad echoed the frustration, saying, “We have not received any budget so far. There is not a single taka in DUCSU’s account. We are forced to run our activities with help from sponsors. Despite multiple letters to the administration since 2019, we still do not know how much money students have paid or how it has been spent.”

Executive members also claimed that even a month after the elections, the administration has yet to form a separate DUCSU fund. Consequently, all its activities are currently being run with private or sponsored assistance.

In response, DUCSU has announced a protest march and sit in programme in front of the the Registrar’s Building on Sunday, demanding full disclosure of all DUCSU and hall union funds and a transparent budget presentation, elimination of drug gangs, vagrants, and other groups to ensure campus safety and removal and trial of officials allegedly aligned with fascism, including Deputy Registrar Ruhul Amin, who reportedly joined a procession titled for the ousted prime minister Sheikh Hasina.

The first DUCSU election after 1990 was held in 2019, but its activities soon came to a halt. Although DUCSU was revived through the 2025 election, long-standing financial irregularities and a severe funding crisis have now reignited debates over transparency and accountability within the institution.

BP/SP