Duta goes to poll today

Three panels will contest the annual election of Dhaka University Teachers' Association (Duta) today.

Though the pro-Awami League Blue panel and BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami backed White panel have candidates for all 15 posts, the left-leaning Pink panel is contesting for only eight posts, excluding those of president and general secretary. The left-leaning group joins the election after a gap of nine years.

There are 1,923 teachers of DU who will be able to cast their votes at the university teachers' club between 10:00am and 2:00pm. Prof Sharifullah Bhuyan will conduct the election.

Outgoing Duta president Prof Farid Uddin Ahmad, a pro-AL Blue panel candidate, will vie for the same post again, with White panel's Prof Md Serazul Islam,

However, there will be three candidates for the post of general secretary -- pro-AL panel's Prof ASM Maksud Kamal, pro-BNP panel's Prof Mohammad Siddiqur Rahman Khan, and independent candidate Sheikh Hafizur Rahman, who was aligned with the Blue panel.

Last year the pro-AL panel won all 15 posts.

Prof Nehal Karim, a vice president candidate from the left-leaning Pink panel, said they were contesting the election after a gap to let young teachers know of their existence.

Pink panel's Prof Sumon Kanti Borua, a joint secretary candidate, said they did not have candidates in the top two posts because they extended support to the pro-AL panel to facilitate the smooth progress of the ongoing movement for a separate pay scale for university teachers, being led by Prof Farid and Prof Maksud.