Some allegations in otherwise smooth voting

Voters stood in long queues in blazing September heat yesterday, eager to cast what was, for most, the first ballot of their lives.

From Curzon Hall to Udayan Higher Secondary School, polling centres teemed with students, the campus buzzing with festivity despite scattered allegations of irregularities and rival panels trading charges throughout the day.

The long-awaited polls began at 8:00am and continued till 4:00pm across eight centres. The Daily Star correspondents stationed on the ground observed that voting remained largely peaceful and orderly.

At Udayan, covering 6,169 voters from four halls, ballot boxes had been shown empty to polling agents and journalists before voting began. Within the first hour, around 900 ballots were cast.

Students took an average of 7-8 minutes to fill 41 Ducsu and 13 hall union ballots, though many took longer, leading to long queues by midday.

Delays were particularly notable at booths designated for Jasimuddin Hall, prompting Returning Officer and House Tutor Mohammad Rashed Alam Bhuiyan to urge voters to complete voting within the usual time. One student was caught filling a ballot outside the secret booth and was warned. By 2:45pm, 4,900 votes, 79.4 percent of the registered voters, had been cast, rising to at least 84 percent by day's end.

Breaches in conduct were noted around noon, including candidates distributing leaflets or holding voters' belongings while they cast their votes.

The VP candidate nominated by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), along with VP and GS candidates from the Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed panel, voted at this centre.

At Curzon Hall, three polling rooms were designated for 5,055 students from Amar Ekushey, Fazlul Haq, and Shahidullah halls. While students waited patiently in long queues, campaigners lined the entrance, forcing voters to walk through them, causing congestion and delays. Many campaigners shouted at voters to support their candidates, violating the election code of conduct.

Fazlul Haq Hall Returning Officer Al Amin said, "We've been trying to bar the campaigners from obstructing the voters. But they aren't listening."

He lamented a lack of plan in controlling the crowd of campaigners. Authorities later roped off areas in Shahidullah Hall to reduce congestion, yet campaign materials and ballot numbers were found scattered across all rooms.

VP candidate Umama Fatema posted a photo on social media showing a list of candidates, which she said was being distributed outside the polling centre designated for Dr Muhammad Shahidullah Hall. "On one side is the list of candidates of the Oikyabaddho Shikkharthi Jote supported by Chhatra Shibir, and on the other side is the list of candidates contesting the hall union election, identifying themselves as independents. Rumour is that this list was scattered under the desk of the polling booth," she wrote.

Abdul Qader, VP candidate from the "Boishommo Birodhi Shikkharthi Sangsad" panel, alleged a lack of discipline, claiming that ballots had been pre-filled. A similar incident occurred at Amar Ekushey Hall, leading to the removal of a polling officer.

Shibir-backed VP and GS candidates Shadik Kayem and SM Farhad alleged that the JCD panel and polling officers stuffed ballots. Farhad said, "We saw that the JCD and the polling officers were stuffing papers pre-filled with votes for all of their candidates. When we alerted the administration, they took action."

The returning officer described the incident as an "unintentional mistake". He explained that one voter was mistakenly given six sets of ballot papers instead of five and filled them all. "When the next voter arrived, the polling officer mistakenly gave them the previously filled-out ballot paper. That's where the misunderstanding began," he said. The officer involved was later removed from duty.

Vice-Chancellor Prof Niaz Ahmed Khan said, "A minor incident occurred at Curzon Hall due to an error. We took immediate action. Nevertheless, we will investigate and take measures if anyone is found responsible. We hope both winners and the defeated will accept the results and acknowledge the transparency."

Speaking to reporters, independent candidate Rupaiya Shrestha Tanchangya claimed one voter from Ruqayyah Hall told her that she received a pre-filled paper at table number one.

Polling officer Rumana Parvin also acknowledged the case. "After coming out, a female student complained that her paper already had votes cast in favour of two candidates. She was then given a new ballot paper," she said.

The Physical Education Centre, hosting voters from Salimullah Muslim Hall, Jagannath Hall, and Zahurul Haq Hall, recorded turnouts between 82.44 percent and 84.56 percent.

Teachers and officials ensured order by intervening promptly when disputes arose. Some candidates were campaigning near the gates, and shortly after 2:00pm, a Jagannath Hall candidate accused a rival of campaigning inside a booth, but these incidents did not escalate.

Three observer teams monitored the centre. One of the observers, Prof Asif Shahan told The Daily Star, "The voting environment was acceptable and peaceful, with no major irregularities."

Prof Samina Luthfa, present throughout the day, said around 2:30pm, "Voting is going smoothly."

JCD-backed VP candidate Abidul Islam said his panel submitted 12 formal complaints to the university authorities.

At booths for Ruqayyah Hall, he alleged, there were pre-marked ballots for Shibir-backed candidates. "A female student coming out of the polling centre alleged that the ballot they were given already had cross marks beside the names of Shadik Kayem and SM Farhad. The same thing also happened at booths for Amar Ekushey Hall," he said, adding, "Probably many other ballots had been marked in advance."

After voting ended, JCD President Rakibul Islam submitted complaints to the VC, claiming Jamaat-Shibir members were gathering to "carry out criminal activities". In a heated exchange, he warned, "If any incident occurs, Jamaat and the VC will be responsible."

VC Prof Niaz said he was not aware of any such gatherings and refuted claims of inaction.

Shibir-backed and independent candidates alleged they were barred from entering polling centres, while Abidul had unbarred access. Farhad said, "When we raised the issue with the Chief Returning Officer, he told us at 1:30pm that we too would be allowed access."

A Daily Star correspondent saw Abidul enter the Physical Education Centre. Though the returning officer initially said this violated the code, he later retracted his statement.

The University Teachers' Network described the election as participatory.

Prof Gitiara Nasreen said, "Apart from minor irregularities, we did not feel the election was unacceptable."

Prof Samina Luthfa noted gaps in transparency, "Mismanagement remained … Passes for polling agents did not reach all parties on time. Slowdowns occurred at Jagannath Hall and TSC. Cross-marked ballots were found at two centres. The process of appointing polling officers was opaque."

Despite these issues, voting proceeded largely smoothly, with teachers, officials, and observers ensuring order. Students participated enthusiastically, marking the Ducsu polls as one of the most participatory in recent memory.