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Leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) confined the Pro-Vice Chancellor of Chittagong University for nearly an hour and a half early Thursday, protesting alleged irregularities during the vote count of the Chattogram University Central Students’ Union (CUCSU) election.
Pro-VC Professor Mohammad Kamal Uddin was held hostage around 1:00 am at the Faculty of Engineering’s IT Building, where the vote counting was taking place.
Chhatra Dal leaders alleged that their vice president (VP) candidate for the Suhrawardy Hall students’ union election was defeated due to vote manipulation. They demanded a re-count of the votes cast in Room 312 of the Engineering Faculty, according to a UNB report.
According to campus sources, police arrived around 2:30 am in an attempt to escort the Pro-VC out of the building. However, when they reached the main gate, Chhatra Dal activists again blocked their way, preventing his exit.
The Pro-VC was later seen in discussions with the JCD president, general secretary, and other leaders around 3:00 am regarding the allegations over the Suhrawardy Hall vote.
Chhatra Dal claimed that their VP candidate, Jamadiul Awwal, secured 1,203 votes, while Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed candidate Niamat Ullah allegedly won the post with 1,206 votes — a narrow margin that JCD leaders suspect resulted from irregularities.
When asked about the incident, Pro-VC Professor Mohammad Kamal Uddin told reporters, “After the results were announced, I was leaving the hall when a group of students blocked my way, demanding a re-count of the votes. I informed them that such matters should be addressed to the election commissioner, but they did not accept that and kept me confined in a room for nearly 90 minutes. Later, police came and rescued me.”