Defeated vice president (VP) candidates Abidul Islam Khan, Abdul Qader, and Umama Fatema have alleged administrative negligence regarding various “irregularities” in the recent Dhaka University (DU) Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) elections.
The trio raised their concerns after meeting Vice-Chancellor Professor Niaz Ahmed Khan on Tuesday.
The DUCSU elections, held on 9 September after a six-year hiatus, saw the majority of seats won by the panel ‘Ekoboddho Shikkharthi Jot’, backed by Islami Chhatra Shibir.
Umama Fatema, VP candidate from the independent panel ‘Swatantra Shikkharthi Oikko’, claimed, “On 7 September, ballot papers for the DUCSU elections were found unsecured at a printing press in Gausul Azam Market. We requested clear information from the administration regarding this matter.”
She further questioned the official voter turnout figures, saying, “The number of voters reported does not match what we observed on the ground. We have therefore demanded the publication of the voter signature lists.”
Abdul Qader, VP candidate from the Bangladesh Ganotantrik Chhatra Sangha-supported panel ‘Boiṣommo Biruddho Shikkharthi Sangha’, also raised concerns about ballot papers and signature lists. “We see reluctance from the administration to provide these details, particularly regarding Sergeant Zahurul Haque Hall and Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall, where reported voter turnout seems exaggerated,” he said.
Abidul Islam Khan, VP candidate from the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, echoed the concerns, stating, “We raised these issues out of our responsibility toward fair elections. Regarding the unsecured ballots at Gausul Azam, the administration claimed ignorance. They are careless with the voter list, which raises our suspicions, as it only shows signatures of those present.”
Efforts to obtain comments from Vice-Chancellor Niaz Ahmed Khan were unsuccessful, and Proctor Saifuddin Ahmed declined to comment.
During the meeting, several other candidates, including Tanvir Bari Hamim (GS, Chhatra Dal), Arafat Chowdhury (independent GS), and Sheikh Tanvir Al Hadi Mayed (AGS, Chhatra Dal), were also present.
