Home
+
Published : 09 Sep 2025, 02:45 PM
The Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) election has been hit by a wave of allegations and counter-allegations as candidates from rival panels accused each other of breaking the electoral code of conduct.
Outside the TSC polling centre on Tuesday, Abdul Kader, a vice president (VP) candidate from the Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangshad-backed panel, and his general secretary (GS) running mate Abu Baker Mojumder alleged that candidates from the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Islami Chhatra Shibir were exerting “partisan influence” and flouting the rules, while the administration “stood silent”.
They also complained of instances of “vote rigging”. Abu Baker said they had reported the matter verbally to the Election Commission.
Shortly afterwards, BNP’s VP candidate Abidul Islam Khan appeared at the centre, calling the claims against him “baseless” and instead levelling a counter-complaint about advance voting.
“A student of Rokeya Hall came to cast her ballot at the TSC centre, only to find that her vote had already been given to [Shibir candidates] Shadik Kayem and SM Farhad,” said Adidul.
Abdul Kader also raised allegations of rigging against a polling officer at Amar Ekushey Hall.
"The polling officer himself was casting votes. Once caught, he was dismissed. At Ruqayyah Hall, a student’s vote had already been cast in advance.”
He also raised concern over reports that members of the pro-BNP "White Panel" of teachers entered the University Laboratory School centre while students and media were kept out. “This kind of behaviour reminds us of elections under the Hasina regime,” he said.
“We overthrew Hasina through the uprising, and we will not accept such practices at Dhaka University.”
Shibir-backed GS candidate Farhad joined the chorus of allegations, saying: “This morning we saw drama after drama. A polling officer was removed at Curzon Hall, and then to cover up that incident, another drama was staged at the TSC with claims of a female student’s vote being stolen. The officials involved must be penalised.”
Independent Students Unity’s VP candidate Umama Fatema raised her own concerns, sharing on Facebook two leaflets allegedly distributed outside the Shahidullah Hall polling centre. She claimed the leaflets contained lists of both Shibir-backed candidates and supposed independents. “Rumour has it that this list is even being kept under polling booth desks,” she wrote.
Nearly 40,000 students are eligible to vote in the first DUCSU and hall union elections in six years, with 471 candidates vying for 28 central posts and more than 1,000 others for 234 hall positions. Polling began at 8am across eight centres and will continue without interruption until 4pm.
