Junon Chakma declares candidacy for DU hall sports secretary
STAFF REPORTER, DHAKA
Junon Chakma, a fourth-year student of Dhaka University’s Department of Political Science, has announced he will contest as an independent candidate for the post of Sports Secretary (Outdoor) in Jagannath Hall.
He confirmed his candidacy in a Facebook post on 18 August, ahead of the 2025 Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) and hall union elections.
Junon said he had been actively involved in competitive sports since the start of his university life. His interests in football, athletics, cricket and badminton, he added, had kept him closely connected with Jagannath Hall’s sporting activities.
He told students he believed that with proper guidance and logistical support, Jagannath Hall could contribute significantly to both university-level competitions and national sports. “With this goal in mind, I am entering the election to work for the development of the sporting arena,” he said.
Junon pledged that, win or lose, he would remain committed to improving sports at Jagannath Hall and Dhaka University. He said he would also maintain what he called an uncompromising stance in realising the rightful demands of students and athletes.
He added that he would soon publish his election manifesto and stressed that student views and suggestions would be prioritised.
Sporting achievements
Junon listed a number of sporting achievements.
He was champion in the Dhaka University inter-department football competition in 2022 and in the 52nd inter-hall athletics competition in 2023.
He placed among the top hundred in the Dhaka International Marathon 2025. He also won the 53rd inter-hall athletics competition in 2024 and finished runner-up in both the 2024 inter-department football competition and the 54th inter-hall athletics competition in 2025.
Other candidates from CHT
The deadline for collecting nomination forms closed on 18 August.
University officials said three other students from the Chittagong Hill Tracts—Hema Chakma, Sarba Mitra Chakma and Surmi Chakma—also collected forms for this year’s DUCSU election. Among them, Sarba Mitra is contesting from Islami Chhatra Shibir’s United Students’ Alliance panel.
Officials confirmed that 565 nomination forms were sold for 28 posts in DUCSU. A further 1,226 forms were collected for the hall union elections in 18 residential halls.
According to the administration, Dr Muhammad Shahidullah Hall recorded the highest number of candidates, with 97 collecting forms. Bangladesh-Kuwait Maitree Hall saw the lowest, with 29.
Election timetable and voter list
The last date for submitting nomination forms is 19 August at 3pm. Officials said the final list of candidates will be published on 21 August at 1pm, after scrutiny.
The administration has also released the final voter list. It confirmed that 157 names were removed from the draft, leaving 39,775 voters in total.
Of these, 20,871 are male students and 18,902 are female students.
The last DUCSU election was held in 2019. After the long break, and against the backdrop of the recent July Uprising, this year’s polls are being seen as particularly significant.
