Desk Report:
Abidul Islam Khan, the defeated candidate for the post of VP supported by Chhatra Dal, held a press conference, raising 11 allegations of irregularities, inconsistencies and vote rigging in the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) elections. He said that until the Dhaka University administration can clear the issues of the allegations, there is no chance of validating the DUCSU elections.
Today, Monday (September 22), at 11:30 am, Chhatra Dal-supported Vice President (VP) candidate (defeated) Md. Abidul Islam Khan made these comments at a press conference at the university’s Madhur Canteen.
The press conference was organized by the Abid-Hamim-Mayed Parishad, the Chhatra Dal-supported committee for the DUCSU elections. Md. Abidul Islam Khan is the joint general secretary of Dhaka University Chhatra Dal.
This panel, supported by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, has raised 11 allegations of irregularities and irregularities in the elections 13 days after the DUCSU elections. VP candidate Abidul Islam Khan, who participated in the panel, mentioned that he did not get any redress despite reporting the complaints to the university administration and the commission. He made a written statement at the press conference outlining 11 specific allegations.
Abidul Islam Khan said that various frauds have been committed, including providing voters with ballot papers that vote for a specific panel, signing the voter list before the voters arrive. In the last DUCSU and Hall parliamentary elections in 2019, the Chhatra League was able to silently create opportunities for vote rigging as there was no serial number on the ballot paper. But unfortunately, there was no serial number on the ballot paper used in this election either. Apart from this, he said that the number of ballot papers printed, the number of ballot papers supplied to the polling station, used and cancelled, and the number of ballot papers returned after voting were not published anywhere.
Abidul Islam alleged that without disclosing any information about the press from which the ballot papers used in the election were printed, there have already been allegations of vote rigging through fake ballots leaked from unsafe printing presses.
Abidul Islam said that according to the notification issued by the Dhaka University administration on September 13, while some teachers and technicians were present during the verification of the accuracy and reliability of the vote counting machines and software, voters and candidates were not informed about this at all.
In addition, various allegations have been raised, including the absence of polling agents in many polling stations, the appointment of polling officers from the DU administration, the freedom of entry of a certain group into the campus by some overzealous people in charge of security and alliances during the election, forcing polling agents to play a practically passive role during the vote counting, and a despicable attempt to spoil votes by using ballpoint pens in the votes after a certain time.
When journalists asked about not filing complaints during the election or the next day, Abidul Islam Khan said after the press conference, “If I had started a movement and struggle the day after the election, I would have gone back to the previous political culture.” We have sacrificed that place and played a role in promoting fair politics.’
Abidul Islam said, ‘We have complained to the university administration. When we saw that there was delay, we felt it was necessary to inform you of these complaints.’
In response to the question whether there will be a program of the student party-supported panel or not, VP candidate Abidul Islam Khan said, ‘Candidates and voters from various panels have already raised their voices. We have conveyed our complaints through fair politics and the university administration will take note of those complaints and thoroughly clarify their position. Otherwise, we will inform you about the next program by adopting fair politics.’
When journalists asked about the rejection of the results, Abidul said, the DUCSU elections were held in 2019. That election is still being reviewed. There have been allegations of inconsistencies, irregularities and vote rigging in the 2025 DUCSU elections as well. The review of these will continue. Until the administration can clear its position on fair elections and the issues of complaints, there is no chance of validating this DUCSU election.
Tanvir Bari Hamim, the DUCSU General Secretary (GS) candidate who participated from the Chhatra Dal-nominated panel, pledged to stand by the students at the press conference, saying, “Since various irregularities were observed even after the announcement of the schedule, we have informed them of all the complaints and sought solutions as per the rules, but our teachers have completely failed to uphold that trust by not providing any solution to even a single irregularity.”
Other candidates including AGS Tanvir Al Hadi Mayed of the Chhatra Dal-backed panel were present at the press conference.
