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Raising 11 allegations of irregularities and inconsistencies in the DUCSU election, the VP candidate from the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD)-backed panel on Monday said they will have no scope to accept the election as legitimate unless the university administration clarifies its stance on these issues.
In a media briefing at the Madhur Canteen, Abidul Islam Khan, vice president (VP) candidate of the panel, read out a written statement on their allegations about the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) election.
Abidul Islam said, "We have repeatedly informed the authorities of irregularities and requested solutions, but they did not take any meaningful steps. Instead, they intentionally delayed the process. As a result, this election is heading towards becoming one of the most questionable elections in DUCSU's history."
He further stated, "Until the administration makes its position clear on these matters, we cannot recognise this election as valid from our side." He urged the DU administration to ensure transparency and accountability by investigating the irregularities and making the truth public.
Chhatra Dal's general secretary (GS) candidate Tanvir Bari Hamim, assistant general secretary (AGS) candidate Tanvir Al Hadi Mayed, and other panel members were also present at the press conference.
The allegations raised by Chhatra Dal include ballot papers pre-marked in favour of a certain panel were supplied to voters and, in some cases, signatures were placed on voter lists before voters arrived. Requests to access CCTV footage of polling centers to verify these complaints have been ignored by the administration.
The ballot papers used in the election did not have serial numbers. The number of printed, distributed, used, canceled, and returned ballot papers was never disclosed. Even polling agents were denied this information despite repeated inquiries.
No information was made public about which press printed the ballot papers. On September 7, a large number of ballot papers were allegedly found unsecured at a press in Nilkhet's Gausul Azam Market.
The vote-counting process faced allegations and disputes, which could have been avoided if a transparent counting system had been ensured.
On the night before the election, many proposed polling agents of candidates were excluded without explanation. The process of selecting polling agents was never clarified.
Polling agents were supposed to be provided with ID cards before voting day, but many did not receive them in time. As a result, several agents were unable to enter polling centers on time, leading to biased voting in their absence.
While all candidates except one panel were informed that voting would take place in eight centers, on the election day it was revealed that 18 centres had been set up. This prevented other candidates from assigning polling agents to all centers.
Polling agents were supposed to be appointed by the Chief Returning Officer, but were instead appointed by the DU administration. Many polling officers also gave journalists misleading information and falsely accused candidates of violating the code of conduct, thereby influencing the election.
At the campus entry points on election day, some BNCC, Rover Scout, and Girls' Guide members allegedly allowed a particular group to enter freely, while students caught several outsiders linked to Shibir and handed them over to the proctor's office.
During vote counting, polling agents were sidelined and not allowed to properly participate in the process. Protesting this lack of involvement and counting errors, most polling agents from Chhatra Dal and other candidates left without signing the result sheets.
After 11:30 AM on election day, most polling booths reportedly ran out of marker pens and voters were forced to use ballpoint pens to mark ballots. Many such votes were not read correctly by the OMR machines, leaving votes uncounted. Furthermore, the ink used to mark voters' fingers was temporary, raising suspicion that some individuals voted multiple times.
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