DUCSU questions unanswered
Over a week has passed since the DUSCU elections, but the authorities’ explanations about the irregularities and discrepancies in the polls amount to nothing but evading blame and castigating the media. They said that the students did not allow politically motivated conspirators to disrupt the peace and stability of the university and the country.
The people are well aware of what the students did before, during and after the Dhaka University Central Students Union (DUCSU) election held on 11 March. They also are aware under what circumstances the authorities were compelled to hold this election after 28 long years. A case had been filed against the authorities in demand of the election. A movement had been drummed up. A student went on hunger strike. It had been hoped the authorities would ensure that the 43,000 students of Dhaka University could cast their votes unhindered.
All candidates and student organisations, excepting the ruling party’s student front Chhatra League, had put forward certain demands for a fair election. These included that the polling centres not be set up in the halls, that transparent ballot boxes be used, that the voting hours be extended and that the ballot boxes and papers not be sent to the halls at night. The university administration building is just a few minutes away from the halls. The authorities have no explanation why the ballot boxes were sent to the halls on the night before the election. Had these not been sent at night, perhaps the unwarranted situation in two halls could have been avoided. Questions then may not have been raised about the ballots in the other halls too. In several halls, adequate number of booths could not be set up due to lack of space. And as the time of the voting hadn’t been extended, students had to wait in lines for hours. Even the authorities had to admit this.
The Dhaka University authorities are taking credit for removing the provost of Bangladesh-Kuwait Maitree Hall and suspending the voting there due to already stamped ballot papers being found there. But no action was taken about the three stuffed ballot boxes found in Ruqquaiyah Hall. The authorities refused to allow the students to see the ballot papers stuffed in those boxes. Even worse, cases have been filed in that incident against the elected VP and other students.
The Dhaka University authorities claim that they welcome constructive criticism. But if they read the placards and banners of the protesting students, they would understand what real values mean. When going to the demonstrators to break their hunger strike, the authorities said they would look into the matter.
After the elected DUCSU representatives met with the prime minister on Saturday, it is expected that they will soon take oath. But that does not mean that the authorities conducted a fair election. In order to restore peace on campus, they must form a neutral committee to investigate the matter and then take action against those responsible for the irregularities and discrepancies in the election.