Investigate controversial DUCSU polls
Over 43,000 students were so enthusiastic about the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) polls, being held after 28 years. But, the rigidity, cheating and incapacity of the university authorities ruined their expectations. The people witnessed yet another controversial and partisan election. The Dhaka University authorities have to be accountable for it.
From the beginning of the DUCSU polls process, the authorities played a one-sided, partisan and suspicious role. The precondition of any fair election is to create a level playing field for all. But the university authorities accepted all demands of the ruling Awami League’s student wing Bangladesh Chhatra League, ignoring the demands of all other student organisations.
Most of the students’ organisations demanded polling stations to be set up outside the residential halls as the BCL, which has supremacy over the halls, may influence the hall administration. The university authorities did not feel any necessity to consider the demand. The students’ organisations requested the authorities not to send ballot papers at night and to defer election by a few months. Their demands went unheeded. These decisions of the authorities were not right. The decisions were proved wrong when stamped ballot papers were recovered from halls. Media outlets also reported that many students could not cast their votes despite waiting in line for long.
Despite the partisan attitude of the authorities, the students along with the public expected that the voting will be fair. They expected this because the university teachers conducted the DUCSU and halls unions polls. The voting rights of the students were in the hands of teachers. Therefore, there would not be a repetition of vote rigging which occurred in the national election of 30 December.
Unfortunately we noticed that several hall provosts involved in the scam of ballot boxes and papers. In the face of resistance by the students ahead of the beginning of voting on Monday, some ballot boxes were opened and stamped ballot papers were recovered from Bangladesh-Kuwait Matiree Hall. As the irregularities came to the fore, the authorities removed the provost and suspended the voting for few hours to tackle the situation. The similar incident takes place at Ruqayyah Hall. Several hundred blank ballot papers from three boxes were recovered in presence of the university proctor. Under the circumstances, except BCL, all students’ organisations boycotted the election and enforced strike on Tuesday as an instant protest against the rigged DUCSU polls.
Despite winning the most of the posts of DUCSU and hall unions, BCL demands reelection of VP post rejecting DUCSU VP-elect Nurul Haque. BCL men also carried out attack on him. We condemn the cowardly attack.
Later, DUCSU elect-VP and GS of two contesting organisations joined hand together to work to maintain a congenial atmosphere on the campus. We welcome it. We hope that the university authorities will take steps to restore peaceful environment on the campus. The authorities will carry out investigation into alleged irregularities in the voting and bring the perpetrators to book.