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Published : 27 Sep 2025, 12:03 AM
BNP’s senior leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi believes that the national election could be jeopardised if “irregularities” like those in DUCSU and JUCSU recur.
Speaking at a discussion in Dhaka’s Mirpur on Friday afternoon, Rizvi questioned how the Dhaka University vice chancellor would suppress reports of ballot papers printed in Nilkhet and other alleged abuses.
The DUCSU and hall union elections took place on Sept 9, with the Election Commission reporting turnout of more than 70 percent.
The main competition was between Islami Chhatra Shibir and candidates from Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, though the latter did not win any posts.
Three editorial posts slipped from Shibir’s hands and went to independent candidates.
Thirteen days after the vote, those who ran from the Chhatra Dal panel held a press conference, accusing the process of rigging and listing 11 irregularities.
At Jahangirnagar University, voting for JUCSU and the hall unions took place on Sept 11. Several panels, including the one backed by the BNP’s student front, boycotted the polls within hours, alleging fraud and rigging.
Jamaat-e-Islami leaders have since claimed that Shibir’s big win in both elections will influence the national vote. The interim government is preparing to hold that election in February next year, before Ramadan.
On this matter, Rizvi said: “If this form of irregularity continues, the next national election will be extremely risky. Many will question whether results are intentionally manipulated through procedural tricks.”
He added: “For 16 years people have been unable to vote, many voters could not reach polling centres, day elections turned into night polls, votes were cast without real voters. All these irregularities bury the possibility of fair election to cement Sheikh Hasina’s rule.
If any remnant of that pattern remains -- and someone follows that model to create victory -- that will bring misfortune to the nation. People will not let that happen.”
The senior joint secretary said, “We have already said the DUCSU election was not conducted rightly. There were many irregularities. On that day, their ballot papers and books had no serial numbers -- same in JUCSU and the halls.
“A voter was made simply by signing in the morning. But DU authorities ignored the allegations and did not take them into account.”
“Every day new evidence of irregularities comes to light,” he added. “Ballot papers were found, printed in Nilkhet. Newspapers reported it, the media reported it. How will the vice-chancellor cover it up?”
Rizvi said his party had no objection to the DUCSU election itself, but strongly opposed the way it was conducted.
He accused the university authorities of holding the vote on an “uneven playing field” and deceiving students in the process.
The fact that ballot papers were printed in Nilkhet, he claimed, shows the election was orchestrated to “benefit” a specific political group.
