Bangladesh, Aug. 27 -- A year after the student-led July Uprising shook the country, the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) election reflects shifting dynamics: the number of male voters has fallen by more than a fifth, while women voters and candidates have surged, carving out greater space in the leadership race.

A record 471 students, including 62 women, are contesting this year's DUCSU election, marking the sharpest rise in candidates in the union's history and signalling a new balance of power in campus politics.

The overall pool of candidates has more than doubled. A comparison with the last DUCSU election in March 2019 illustrates this shift.

The candidates are contesting the vice-president (VP), general secretary ...