The Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) has questioned the legitimacy of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) elections, citing various allegations of mismanagement by the administration.
The organisation claims that the election cannot be validated unless proper explanations are provided for these alleged mismanagement issues.
The JCD-backed Abid-Hamim-Mahed panel has raised 11 allegations of irregularities, including bias by the administration, following the Ducsu election. Two weeks after the election, the panel reiterated its position during a press conference at Dhaka University’s Madhur Canteen.
The written statement was delivered by the panel’s vice president (VP) candidate, Abidul Islam Khan.
Abid said, “We will continue to review the discrepancies, irregularities, and manipulation allegations in the 2025 DUCSU elections. As long as the administration fails to clarify its stance on holding a free and fair election, we cannot validate the election from our side.
“Despite raising several allegations of irregularities after the announcement of the schedule, our teachers failed to address these issues and maintain trust.”
He further added, “Notable among the irregularities and allegations of malpractice are the distribution of ballots in favor of specific panels, signing of ballots before voters’ arrival, and discrepancies between voter presence and the number of votes cast.
“Even though candidates requested voter lists and CCTV footage, the administration failed to take effective action.”
JCD leaders also claimed that the administration had delayed addressing complaints filed by multiple candidates and polling agents regarding the ballot papers.
They further claimed, despite the formal complaints, the administration failed to conduct an investigation and only delayed the process under various pretexts.
Moreover, the source of the ballots printed for the election have not been disclosed, and unprotected ballots were found at a printing press in the Gausul Azam Market in Nilkhet, the JCD leaders stated.
The JCD accused the administration of not informing voters and candidates about the verification of the accuracy of vote-counting machines and software.
The list of polling agents was published in the middle of the night, some agents were excluded from their proposed centers, and many were unable to enter the polling stations due to not receiving their ID cards on time.
There were supposed to be eight polling centers, but voting occurred at 18 centers, creating difficulties in appointing polling agents, they stated.
The JCD leaders also accused the administration of mismanagement in appointing polling officers, providing incorrect information about the election code of conduct, and filing complaints against candidates based on misinformation.
They also raised concerns about the bias of security personnel, including members of BNCC, Rover Scouts, and Girl Guides, and the unchecked entry of outsiders into the polling stations. They further claimed that polling agents were rendered ineffective during the vote count.
The use of opaque ballot boxes, voting with pens instead of markers, inaccurate counting by OMR machines, and the use of temporary ink increased the possibility of multiple votes being cast, they concluded.
