Plot to sabotage JUCSU election, 2 pro-BNP teachers instigating it: Shibir-backed GS candidate

General Secretary (GS) candidate from Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed Somonnito Shikkharthi Jote, Mazharul Islam, has alleged a concerted attempt is being made to sabotage the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election.

He accused two teachers aligned with the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) of fuelling the conspiracy.

Mazharul made the allegations at a press conference outside the JUCSU Election Commission office Friday afternoon.

Other candidates from the Somonnito Shikkharthi Jote panel were present there.

“Polling concluded at 5:00 pm yesterday. Even after a full day, counting has not finished. Only the hall-union counts have been completed; the JUCSU count has not even begun,” he said.

The GS candidate further said, “We are seeing clear signs of a conspiracy here. From the day before polling we have repeatedly alerted the administration to loopholes and to specific areas where plots are being hatched, and urged them to ensure transparency. We want a fair election — let the students vote for whom they wish, but you must ensure it is fair.”

Mazharul alleged widespread mismanagement during the polls. “We observed a variety of irregularities yesterday — the conduct of polling agents, surplus ballot papers, polling that did not start at the scheduled times. But those incidents have been overshadowed by aggressive behaviour from Chhatra Dal, and by relentless smearing and falsehoods from BDSC (Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad). Yesterday the central vice-president of Chhatra Dal (also a former student of JU) was detained in Rabindranath Tagore Hall for staying at the hall illegally and attempting to thwart the election. At Hall 15 — largely over a trivial incident — they created a mob, framed the incident to hold Chhatra Shibir responsible, and used that to create disorder and obstruct the electoral process. There were attempts to forcibly seize centres at Hall 21 and Tajuddin Ahmed Hall.”

Stating that the claims that the OMR machine had been supplied by a Jamaat-affiliated company as false, Mazharul said, “Chhatra Dal and BDSC tried to discredit the OMR supplier by labelling it a Jamaat-affiliated firm. If there were any concern about the machine, that should have been examined, but they instead claimed that it was Jamaat-linked. Later we found that the affiliation was not to Jamaat but rather to BNP sympathisers.”

Addressing the authority’s decision to abandon OMR counting, he said, “We are still suffering the consequences of that mistake. Those now doing the counting are exhausted; many have fallen ill. It is practically impossible to complete the count today. Chhatra Dal wants to derail the election on the flimsiest of pretexts, like abandoning the OMR process.”

Naming two teachers as instigators, Mazharul expressed, “The sabotage is being instigated by BNP-leaning teachers — Professor Nazrul Islam and Professor Mafrushi Sattar (a member of the election commission). Professor Nazrul, though head of one hall, entered another female hall and organised a mob, causing the suspension of polling for a time. He is using Chhatra Dal as a tool to create instability. Despite the presence of many former students outside the halls, no action was taken. This morning a teacher on election duty fell ill and passed away — she had not been on duty yesterday. Yet Nazrul Islam’s group is exploiting that to create unrest.”

Mazharul, who is also the university unit office and publicity secretary of Chhatra Shibir, stressed, “This campus does not belong to any professor’s group or any political party. Students want JUCSU after 33 years. From the outset we have demanded a fair, non-partisan election. Whether we win or lose is not our concern; our only demand is that students be able to choose their representatives freely. Those who do not want students’ mandates are trying to sabotage the election. If counting is not completed and results declared today, we will take a firm stance. We will not allow any attempt to derail the election to succeed; any effort to sabotage it will be resisted.”