DUCSU polls: Walid breaks hunger strike after 14 days

Walid Ashraf, a DU student (evening course) who had been on hunger strike since November 25 demanding Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) polls, on Saturday broke his strike after its Vice Chancellor Professor Md. Akhtaruzzaman assured him of holding DUCSU polls immediately.

The VC gave him the assurance and feed Walid a banana and water on the campus around 12.50pm.

Earlier on December 6, Walid was taken to the Dhaka Medical College Hospital as he fell severely ill.

Walid, an evening master’s student of the Institute of Social Welfare and Research of DU, began the hunger strike on November 25 on the Memory Eternal premises near the vice-chancellor’s residence on the DU campus, demanding that the authorities concerned hold the DUCSU election before December 16.

Living in a tent, he has vowed to fast unto death if his demand is not met.

A number of students and teachers of Dhaka University have openly expressed solidarity with Walid; so has many student organizations - except for Bangladesh Chhatra League, the student wing of the ruling Awami League, and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, student wing of the BNP.

The last elections to the DUCSU took place 27 years ago. Student organisations, especially the left leaning ones, demanded the polls on numerous occasions but hunger strike by any student is rare.