A writ petition has been filed with the High Court seeking directives to restrict the display of photographs and personal details of female students included in the voter list for the upcoming Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election.
The petition was submitted on Sunday (24 August) to the relevant bench of the High Court by five Dhaka University students—Sabikun Nahar Tamanna, Md Jakaria, Fatema, Tasnim Jhuma, and Redowan Mondol Rifat. They were represented by lawyer Advocate Fayzullah Fayez.
The university’s Vice-Chancellor and the Chief Returning Officer for the election have been named as respondents in the writ.
Earlier, the petitioners had sent a letter to the Vice-Chancellor requesting removal of female students’ photographs from the published voter list. In the letter, they argued that publishing such personal images constituted a serious violation of privacy. They noted that photographs are highly sensitive personal data, which should not be made public without consent.
The letter also mentioned that many students had already faced mental distress and instances of bullying as a result of the disclosure, particularly niqabi students who found the step to be embarrassing and confusing.
The students further warned that making such sensitive information publicly accessible posed a potential security threat, and criticized the administration for failing to address the matter.
The petitioners urged two specific measures: (1) immediate removal of the voter list containing female students’ photographs from the university website, and (2) introduction of a safer alternative system—such as using student registration numbers in place of personal images for identification purposes.
As no action was taken following the initial letter, the students proceeded to file the writ petition.
