8 DU teachers demand fresh Ducsu polls

A panel of eight teachers of Dhaka University, who voluntarily observed the just concluded Ducsu election, has demanded cancellation of the election and urged the university authority to announce a fresh election schedule.

“We want to say that the irregularities in the much-awaited Dacsu election have ashamed us deeply,” the teachers observed in a joint statement soon after the voting of Dhaka University Central Students’ Union election ended amid allegations of vote irregularities and rigging.

The teachers are Prof Geeti Ara Nasrin and Prof Fahmidul Haque of Dhaka University’s Mass Communication and Journalism Department, Prof Kamrul Hasan, of Physics, Associate Prof Tanjim Uddin Khan of International Relations, Assistant Prof Rushad Faridi of Economics, Prof Kazi Maruful Islam of Development Studies, Assistant Prof Tahmina Khanam of Management and Associate Prof Atonu Rabbani of Economics department of the university.

They made the observations after visiting SM Hall, Suryasen Hall, Mohsin Hall, F Rahman Hall, Shahidullah Hall, Rokeya Hall and Kuwait Moitree Hall in between 9:00am to 2:00pm. 

Expressing their utter frustration over the irregularities in the polls, they said the election has smashed the overall dignity of the teachers of all public universities.

The relation between the teachers and the students has been deteriorated through the election and it will hamper the overall academic atmosphere in future, they said in the statement.

They also blamed all teachers and the administration for their “complete failure” in holding the election in a free, fair and credible manner.

Mentioning that there was no serial number in the ballot papers, they said it was a major inconsistency in the election process.

“An election having 43,000 votes and the ballot papers without having any serial number stunned us because it makes easier to bring serious anomalies in the election result due to this.”

The teachers’ observer group said although voting took place in almost in a peaceful atmosphere inside the male’s polling stations, they saw several anomalies outside.

For example, they said members of Chhatra League played role to a large extent to check ID of voters and create obstacle and discouraged non-residence students to cast their votes.

Activists of Chhatra League moved without facing any obstacle while candidates of other panels and their activists faced obstacles to stay outside the voting centres and faced obstacles to stay beside voters' lines, they observed.

Besides, they also said Chhatra League activists created artificial gatherings just outside the polling centres in a bid to make slow the voting process so that others are discouraged to cast their votes.

In many cases, we counted timing inside booths and saw that some voters took five to 23 minutes [to cast votes in ballots] which was intentional.

The university teachers said they carried out the observation activities on their personal initiative and voluntarily.