As it happened: Polling closes amid controversy

The voting for Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) and hall union elections concluded around 5:00pm amid a day full of tension and incidents. Now the wait for the results begins.

The voting began at 9:00am in the morning.

According to the university's election commission, a total of 11,743 students are eligible to vote, including 5,728 female and 6,015 male students. 

A total of 177 candidates are contesting for 25 central JUCSU posts, while 477 candidates are running for 315 positions in the hall unions.

In total, nine candidates are running for the VP post, followed by eight for the GS position. Six are vying for the female Joint Secretary post, while 10 are competing for the male position.

The election process is being facilitated by 21 returning officers, 67 polling officers, and 67 assistant polling officers. Voting booths have been set up across 224 polling stations within the 21 residential halls of the university.

Earlier, the JUCSU Chief Election Commissioner said that the vote counting may take longer than in DUCSU polls. 

The number of voters for the JUCSU polls may be lower than the number in the DUCSU polls held on Tuesday, but counting the ballots may take even longer. 

JUCSU Chief Election Commissioner Professor Mafruhi Sattar told Stream that since a decision was made to count the votes manually, the process will take more time.

Although ballot counting in the DUCSU polls was supposed to be completed by the end of Tuesday, the final results were announced on Wednesday morning. 

Three BNP-affiliated teachers resigned from their election duties in the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) elections, citing allegations of vote rigging. 

The teachers are: Professor Nazrul Islam, Professor Shamima Sultana, and Nahrin Islam Khan. 

Among them, Nazrul Islam was responsible for monitoring the JUCSU election centrally, while the other two supervised at the hall level.

They also boycotted the voting process, saying that several other teachers would make similar declarations.

Chhatra Dal-backed panel “Sammilito Chhatra Oikya” announced that it has boycotted the JUCSU polls, alleging vote rigging and irregularities.

“The election is neither fair nor free. Therefore, we are compelled to boycott the election. The true voice of the students is not being reflected,” said Tanjila Hossain Boishakhi, the panel’s GS candidate, at a press conference at Maulana Bhasani Hall around 3:45pm.

“We were not allowed to enter Tajuddin Hall. The voters’ photos were missing from the list. Mob was created at Hall No 21, and an independent candidate was physically assaulted in Jahanara Imam Hall, ” she said, adding that the election had lost its neutrality.

Meanwhile, Boishakhi also criticised the use of OMR machines procured from a Jamaat-e-Islami-linked organisation, which the panel had refused to accept.

“The students at female halls voted multiple times, and Shibir-linked journalists misbehaved with Chhatra Dal candidates,” she added.

Hafizur Rahman Sohan, the central Chhatra Dal vice president, was released after signing a bond to the university proctor’s office.

AKM Rashidul Alam, the secretary of the JUCSU Election Commission and university proctor, confirmed this information.

Earlier, Sohan faced allegations of illegally entering the Bishwakabi Rabindranath Tagore Hall during the ongoing JUCSU election.

Maniruzzaman, the chief election commissioner of JUCSU, denied any allegations of bias in the procurement of ballot papers and vote-counting machines for the election.

Speaking to the media at Maulana Bhashani Hall on Thursday afternoon, he rejected claims that the materials were procured from a Jamaat-linked organisation to favour a particular panel.

Earlier, Sheikh Sadi Hasan, the vice president candidate of the Chhatra Dal-backed panel, held a press conference accusing the authorities of bypassing proper procedures in procuring ballot papers and OMR vote-counting machines from an “unpopular” organisation linked to Jamaat-e-Islami, to ensure the victory of the Shibir-backed panel.

Responding to these allegations, the chief election commissioner said, “No work was awarded to Jamaat or any preferred party. We reviewed five organisations and shortlisted a few after thorough verification. I’m not an expert on technical matters, I’m a professor of English literature,” he said.

He further mentioned that if any defects were found in the ballot papers during scrutiny, those could be cancelled.

“Everyone is satisfied with the election arrangements,” the election commissioner added.

After allegations of vote rigging, voting was suspended around 11:45am at the polling centre set up in the university’s 15th female dormitory (formerly Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall).

After receiving the news, Chhatra Dal-backed panel’s VP candidate, Sheikh Sadi Hasan, and GS candidate, along with 5–7 activists, entered the hall, alleging that voting was suspended due to vote rigging. 

When they reached the polling centre on the hall’s second floor, the door was shut in front of them.

In protest, the female students of the hall began chanting the slogan, “Why are male students inside the hall?” 

A verbal altercation then broke out between hall staff and Chhatra Dal activists. Eventually, the female students forced the Chhatra Dal leaders and activists to leave the hall.

Hall residents alleged that BNP-leaning university Professor Nazrul Islam of the Mathematics Department brought the Chhatra Dal leaders to the hall.

Among the JCD activists was Jisan, a student of the 48th batch of the Bangla Department and a resident of AFM Kamaluddin Hall. He was accused of pushing the hall staff. 

Journalists who arrived at the scene also alleged that Jisan behaved rudely with them. 

Farhana Binte Jigar Farina, BAGCHAS-backed panel Shikkharthi Oikya Forum’s candidate for Education and Research Secretary in JUCSU, who was present at the scene, told Stream, “Voting was suspended here. So why did Chhatra Dal leaders suddenly enter the hall? This is a female hall — there are privacy concerns. They entered a group and created panic. Allegations of vote rigging against Shibir are being made — allegations may arise. I’m from another panel myself, but that doesn’t mean I’ll enter a girls’ hall with boys.”

However, Hall Provost Shamima Nasrin Jolly denied any vote rigging at the hall. She explained that voting was temporarily suspended because the indelible ink on voters’ fingers was wiped off, and the suspension lasted until new ink was provided.

Sheikh Sadi Hasan, the VP candidate from the Chhatra Dal-backed panel, accused the university administration of using ballot papers supplied by an organisation affiliated with Jamaat-e-Islami.

Speaking at a press conference at Maulana Bhasani Hall around 12:30pm, Sadi claimed that ballot papers and vote-counting OMR machines were initially purchased from an "unpopular" Jamaat-linked organisation to favour the Shibir-backed panel. 

After public criticism, the administration then ruled out the OMR machines and switched to manual counting, but the ballot papers from the same source are still being used, Sadi said.

He also alleged that Shibir activists obtained additional ballot papers from the same organisation to rig the election.

Concern was raised at the press conference over Shibir supporters gathering around the campus, fearing that such intimidation could discourage non-residential students from voting.

Polling was yet to resume as of 2:00pm.

Addressing journalists about the controversy, Boishakhi said, “After I arrived here, a girl and a journalist came to me and handed me a folded ballot paper. Then the journalist started a live broadcast. He told me that I brought the ballot paper from inside, as Shibir might win. That clearly shows whose agenda was being served.”

Boishakhi also insisted that she had not even entered the polling centre at the time of the incident.

When questioned about the distribution of campaign leaflets of the Chhatra Dal-backed panel within 100 meters of the polling centre, she said, “I’m not aware of that.”

The Jahangirnagar University authority on Thursday morning detained a central Chatra Dal leader for allegedly staying illegally on campus during the ongoing JUCSU polls. 

Hafizur Rahman Sohan is the central vice-president of Chhatra Dal and a former student of the university. 

He was found staying illegally in Bishwakabi Rabindranath Tagore Hall during the voting period.

When asked about the incident, Safiqul Islam, the hall provost, said, “Around 11:00am today, we received information that a Chhatra Dal member was staying in the hall [Bishwakabi Rabindranath Tagore Hall]. Just after receiving the news, I went there, detained him, and handed him over to the proctor. He is now in the proctor’s office."

He further added that such actions could be punishable under the electoral code of conduct. 

“Now the proctor’s office and the chief election commissioner will take the necessary steps. As the hall provost, I took the necessary action.” 

Tanzina Hossain Boishakhi, the general secretary candidate from the Chhatra Dal-backed panel, said her panel received reports of ballot-stuffing taking place inside the Fazilatunnesa Hall polling centre.

She also said she was barred from entering the centre.

Claiming that candidates from their panel were being barred from entering multiple polling centres, she said, “People linked with Shibir are not allowing us to enter the centres. We’ve received information that fake votes are being cast inside, and there are no polling agents [from all candidates], only those representing a specific panel.”
 

Voting for the JUCSU election was scheduled to begin at 9:00am, but in at least five polling centres, it started late.

Voting began 45 minutes late at Fazilatunnesa Hall and 35 minutes late at Mir Mosharraf Hall.

It started 20 minutes late at Maulana Bhashani Hall, 16 minutes late at Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall, and 15 minutes late at Male Student Hall 10.

Asked about the reason for the delay, Maulana Bhashani Hall's Returning Officer Kazi Mohammad Mohsin told Stream that this was their first experience organising an election on this scale, that’s why it took some extra time to ensure everything started in accordance with the rules and regulations.
 

Allegations have emerged regarding the failure to apply indelible ink to voters after they cast their ballots in the ongoing JUCSU polls. The absence of this key anti-fraud measure has raised concerns about the transparency and credibility of the electoral process.

Voters’ hands or fingers are marked with indelible ink as part of preventive measures to ensure that no one is able to vote more than once. 

Speaking to Stream, BAGCHAS-backed Shikkharthi Oikya Forum’s general secretasry candidate Abu Tawhid Siam said, “Many voters are not being marked with indelible ink after casting their votes. In addition, some candidates are distributing campaign flyers in front of polling centres, which is a clear violation of election rules.”

Siam informed that he contacted Professor Mafruhi Sattar at the central election office around 10:00am to raise the issue formally.

Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall AGS candidate Al Amin echoed the concern, saying, “In our hall, no voter’s finger is being marked. Ballot papers are being issued just after taking a signature.”

In response to these allegations, Ujjal Kumar Mondol, the polling officer at Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall, acknowledged the issue. 

“We were not supplied with markers by the central election commission office,” he stated.

Meanwhile, at Shaheed Rafiq-Jabbar Hall, voters were being marked with black marker pens. Mahbubur Rahman Bhuiyan, the hall’s chief returning officer, said, “We received markers from the election commission office and are using them accordingly.”

The number of voters for the JUCSU polls may be lower than the number in the DUCSU polls held on Tuesday, but counting the ballots may take even longer. 

JUCSU Chief Election Commissioner Professor Mafruhi Sattar told Stream that since a decision was made to count the votes manually, the process will take more time.

Following objections raised by candidates, the decision to use the optical mark recognition (OMR) method for counting was scrapped. As a result, the counting may continue throughout the night.

Although ballot counting in the DUCSU polls was supposed to be completed by the end of Tuesday, the final results were announced on Wednesday morning. 

Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed United Students’ Alliance's vice-president candidate Arifullah Adib alleged irregularities in two aspects of the polling process.

He told journalists that the university administration on Wednesday said no former student or outsider would be allowed to remain on campus from 6:00pm onwards. But, he said, "leaders and activists of Chhatra Dal, whose studentship has already expired, are roaming around the campus" even after voting started on Thursday morning. 

Highlighting the second aspect, he said, “In Shaheed Salam Barkat Hall, at least 150 more ballots have been found than the total number of registered voters. The fact that there are more ballots than voters is a cause for concern.”

To ensure a peaceful voting environment, authorities have deployed eight platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), 5 Ansar teams, 1,600 police personnel, and 200 members of the Detective Branch (DB) of police.

In addition, members of the Army, BGB, and RAB are also on standby as part of the striking force, ready to respond to any untoward incident.

Voting began at 9:00am and will continue until 5:00pm.

According to the university's election commission, a total of 11,743 students are eligible to vote, including 5,728 female and 6,015 male students. 

A total of 177 candidates are contesting for 25 central JUCSU posts, while 477 candidates are running for 315 positions in the hall unions.

In total, nine candidates are running for the VP post, followed by eight for the GS position. Six are vying for the female Joint Secretary post, while 10 are competing for the male position.

The election process is being facilitated by 21 returning officers, 67 polling officers, and 67 assistant polling officers. Voting booths have been set up across 224 polling stations within the 21 residential halls of the university.