DUCSU polls : July movement activist Tonni wins by huge margin

Sanjida Ahmed Tonni, a prominent figure in the July student uprising, has been elected as the Secretary of Research and Publication in the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) and hall union elections. Running as an independent candidate, Tonni secured 11,777 votes, according to the official results announced on Wednesday (10 September) at the university’s Senate Building.

A student of Clinical Psychology from the 2019–20 session, Tonni became widely known after being attacked by activists of Chhatra League on 15 July last year during an anti-discrimination student protest on campus. Her candidacy was met with overwhelming support and symbolic solidarity — six student panels, including Chhatra Dal and the Democratic Student Parliament formed from the anti-discrimination movement, chose not to nominate any candidate for this post out of respect for her.

Earlier, following the announcement of her candidacy, Tonni had expressed her gratitude to these panels for their decision to leave the position uncontested in her honor.

Her victory not only marks a personal milestone but also serves as a symbolic win for student activism and the anti-discrimination movement on campus.