JCD-backed panel boycotts Jucsu polls

The Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD)-backed panel has boycotted today's Jahangirnagar Central Students' Union (Jucsu) election, alleging widespread irregularities, vote rigging and bias by the university administration.

Tanjila Hossain Baisakhi, general secretary (GS) candidate from the panel, announced the decision at an emergency press conference held on the university campus at 3:30pm today.

"From the very beginning we feared this election would be staged," she said. "Ballot papers and OMR machines supplied by a Jamaat-linked businessman were used in the election. We repeatedly warned the administration that this would prevent a fair election, but they ignored our demands."

Baisakhi alleged irregularities in voting across several halls, including fake ballots, forged votes, obstruction of polling agents, and special privileges for Shibir-backed candidates.

In some halls, she claimed, indelible ink on voters' fingers disappeared after casting ballots, while in others voter lists lacked photographs, delaying polling.

She also alleged that at Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Hall the JCD-backed vice president candidate was barred entry and mistreated, while at Jahanara Imam Hall an independent candidate was attacked.

According to her, Shibir-backed candidate Meghla entered restricted areas using a journalist's identity card, yet the authorities failed to intervene.

"The administration has clearly lost its neutrality," she said.

During the briefing, Baisakhi added that ballot papers were found scattered on the floors of several halls. 

She further claimed that Shibir agents were allowed inside polling centres as early as 8:00am, before official voting began, while JCD-backed agents were blocked.

"This election does not reflect the true verdict of the students," Baisakhi said. 

"The university administration has joined hands with Jamaat-Shibir to engineer the election. We are left with no choice but to boycott it."