Shibir calls for OMR ballots in RUCSU election, counters Chhatra Dal’s demands

Chhatra Dal has called for manual counting of votes in the students' union election

The Islami Chhatra Shibir has demanded voting through OMR machines in the RUCSU elections, countering the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal’s call for manual vote counting.

On Wednesday afternoon, Chhatra Dal presented six demands, including the manual counting of votes, in front of the RUCSU Treasurer’s Office.

The Shibir-backed Sammilito Shikkharthi Jote panel later presented a seven-point demand in the form of a memorandum to the chief election commissioner.

The demands include ensuring full access and responsibility for polling agents, issuing separate IDs for journalists, allowing only administration-approved journalists into polling stations, providing manual vote counting if any candidate raises technical concerns, installing CCTV cameras in all polling stations, and barring public entry into the campus on election day.

In response to the demands, Chief Election Commissioner Prof F Nazrul Islam said: “The objectives we are working towards in the election are in line with the demands presented by them. We will try to organise the election following these procedures.”

Earlier in the day, the Chhatra Dal raised six demands, including manual vote counting.

In response, the chief election commissioner said: “Manual counting is time-consuming. The JUCSU election is a good example of this.”

He also said the election would use transparent ballot boxes, and votes would be counted through the EVM system.

The Election Commission announced the schedule on Jul 28. According to the revised timeline, campaigning will run until 10pm on Sept 23. Voting will take place on Sept 25, from 9am to 6pm, across 17 centres in 9 university buildings, with results announced at the Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium.