M M Jasim :
All the panel leaders including the newly-elected Vice President (VC) of Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) gave separate ultimatum on Wednesday for fresh election.
VP Nurul Haque Nur demanded to hold the fresh DUCSU election by March 31 while the other panel leaders for announcement of the schedule of the election within three days.
The panels are Nurul-Rashed-Faruk (Sadharan Chhatra Adhikar), Mustafizur-Anisur-Sohel (Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal), Liton-Faysal-Sadek (Pragatishil), Auroni-Shafi-Amit (Swatantra Jote), Shariar-Rashed-Anup (Chhatra Mukti), Rasel-Shiti-Rahmat (Chhatra Maitree), Nayeem-Shahriar-Fahim (Chhatra League-BCL), Rakibul-Shaili-Jahurul (Chhatra League-JSD), Rabbi-Mahmud-Shariat (Islami Shasantantra), Swadhikar Swatantra Parishad and Bangladesh Chhatra Federation.
The panel leaders stated that the BCL leaders with the help of the university administration applied all sorts of unfair means in the election.
They said that there was no bad example or report of irregularities in any election held in the past except in 1973 when a ballot box was hijacked. But the election held on March 11 ended amid enormous irregularities. So, every panel except BCL rejected the results of the election.
Even, DUCSU’s new VP Nurul Haque Nur claimed, “Despite all sorts of rigging, they (Bangladesh Chhatra League) could not defeat Akhter Hossain and me from my panel. However, they have defeated the others riding on a blueprint.”
The VP, elected from the quota reform movement, has demanded re-election in all posts by March 31.
“I demand re-election scrapping the debatable election,” he said.
He said this while talking to reporters in front of Haji Muhammad Mohsin Hall on the university campus on Wednesday afternoon.
“The activists of the ruling party backed student organisation made the first-year and second year students stand in the queues and killed 10 to 15 minutes while casting their votes. We noticed these sorts of irregularities,” the VP said.
“We had proposed several plans to the administration to make a fair Ducsu electio, but they did not listen to any of them. I express solidarity with my brothers and sisters protesting for a re-run of the DUCSU Election,” Nur said.
The VP said, “Another election must be organized, incorporating opinions from the students’ leaders and panel members. The administration must organize a free and fair DUCSU polls.”
Among the students’ demands, Nur highlighted issues such as establishing polling centres outside the halls, setting the voting time from 8am to 6pm, forming a polling committee with impartial teachers, and using transparent ballot boxes.
Commenting on the alleged assault on him, Nur said, “The Provost of Ruqayyah Hall Jinat Huda called the BCL president and general secretary and they carried out the attack on me.”
Meanwhile, the other panel leaders of the DUCSU have given the authorities three days time to announce fresh polls schedule.
Several hundred students brought out a procession from Raju sculpture at around 12:30pm and marched towards vice-chancellor’s office.
A six-member delegation went to the VC office to hand over a memorandum.
Before handing over the memorandum, Aroni Samonti Khan, leader of the independent panel had announced that the five panels of DUCSU election will go for tougher programmes if their demand for a fresh schedule is not met within three days.
Also during the protest before Registrar Building, Faruque Hossain, a leader of the quota reformist panel, demanded withdrawal of the cases filed against the demonstrators.
After submitting the memorandum, , Liton Nandi, leader of the leftist panel, told The New Nation that they demanded the vice-chancellor to announce new schedule for fresh election in three days , but he rejected the demand.
“Instead, he said the university will file a case against those trying to create anarchy and chaos on campus, which is very unfortunate,” he said.
Liton Nandi said, they have no second option but launching tough movement as they could not accept the farcical election.
“The DU has a tradition of holding a free and fair election. But the current administration has tarnished the university image. We will be compelled to paralise the university’s regular activities if our demands are not met,” he warned.
The long-overdue DUCSU and its hall union polls were held on Monday. Nurul Haq Nur, the Quota Reform Movement leader, was elected Vice-President (VP) of DUCSU, while Bangladesh Chhatra League General Secretary Golam Rabbani, was elected its General Secretary.
Eight of nine secretary posts went to candidates of the Chhatra League panel.
After the results were published, all panels except that of Chhatra League-rejected the results, alleging irregularities, and demanded a re-run of the election to all the posts-except that of VP and social welfare post and announced an indefinite boycott of classes.
