Leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League have demanded a re-vote in the Dhaka University Central Students Union vice president election.
Taking a position in front of the residence of Vice Chancellor Md Akhtaruzzaman since this day morning to push for their demand, they also alleged a massive rigging in the top post election.
The BCL panel has been shocked as the Vice Chancellor announced Nur as the vice-president-elect of the DUCSU around 3:00 am on Tuesday.
They also called for the rustication of Nur who they claimed was backed by the Shibir, the student wing of the Jamaat, the party whose several leaders faced war crimes trials in recent years.
BCL Deputy Library Affairs Secretary Alimul Haq said, “We have the only one demand: revote in the DUCSU VP election. We will continue our protests as long as our demand is not met.”
A BCL supporter, Pradip Chowdhury said, “The results of the DUCSU hall chapters have been announced soon after vote count at the halls, but the authorities announced the results of the election to the DUCSU central committee at the Senate Bhaban. That means that a clear rigging has taken place.”
Claiming that more than 1000 students are BCL supporters at the Zia Hall, he said, “We are shocked that only 200 votes went to the BCL VP candidate there.”
He said, “The Rashed-Nur gang vandalised the university building and in now way could they represent the 43000-plus students of the university.”
Over 43,000 voters had been registered to elect 25 leaders of the DUCSU core committee and 13 each of 18 hall unions through the polling from 8:00 am to 2:00pm on Monday that saw a 59.5 per cent voter turnout, local media reports say.
As many as 229 ran in the fray for 25 posts in the central union and 509 for 13 in each of the hall unions.
The BCL swept the DUCSU election, winning 23 posts out of 25 in the central union. They lost the social services secretary post to Akhtar Hossain of Nur’s panel.
All other major panels except that of the BCL boycotted the election on Monday noon alleging huge irregularities and called for protests the next day.
They have started their protests at TSC this morning demanding that the election results be scrapped and the fresh schedule be announced and the vice chancellor be removed.
Against the background of the protests and demands, Vice Chancellor Md Akhteruzzaman categorically said, “We must follow the DUCSU election code of conduct. The election is over and the results are out.”
