Chhatra Dal launches night protest on campus after JUCSU election boycott

Following a boycott of the JUCSU election, the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal has staged a protest march on the Jahangirnagar University campus at night.

The march commenced around 9:15pm in front of the university’s old registry building and concluded at Chourangi Intersection on Thursday.

Leadership of the demonstration came from JUCSU’s Chhatra Dal-backed vice-president candidate Sheikh Sadi Hasan, university branch Convenor Zahir Uddin Mohammad Babar, and Joint Convener Md Affan Ali.

During a brief gathering later, Babar said: “Since Aug 5, Chhatra Dal has been engaging in campus politics that reflect the aspirations of ordinary students. We have consistently campaigned in support of JUCSU elections, fostering expectations among students for a fair and impartial vote.”

He alleged that ballots and OMR machines had been sourced from a company linked to the Jamaat-e-Islami. Upon discovering this, Chhatra Dal reportedly informed the administration, which, under pressure, decided to count ballot papers manually.

Babar claimed, “For 12,000 registered voters, the Election Commission printed 15,000 ballots. We fear these extra ballots were handed to [Islami] Chhatra Shibir and the Islami Chhatri Sangstha and used in voting.”

He also said the Election Commission’s decision on polling agents at 2am led to harassment when the agents attempted to perform their duties in the morning. He also alleged that Chhatra Dal candidates were prevented from inspecting several halls during the process.