The Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) and hall union elections concluded on Thursday evening amid allegations of vote rigging, mismanagement and a boycott by one panel.
At least five out of eight panels, including Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) boycotted the election.
Professor Mafruhi Sattar, a member of the election commission, said balloting ended around 5:45pm.
“We will begin counting votes shortly and hope to announce the results as early as possible,” he told UNB, adding that voter turnout figures would also be released soon.
While the polls drew long queues of enthusiastic students, controversy marred the historic event, the first JUCSU elections in 33 years.
Several teachers withdrew from election duties and the JCD-backed panel boycotted the vote.
Tanzila Hossain Boishakhi, JCD general secretary candidate, said they pulled out because polling officers from Islami Chhatra Shibir allegedly entered centres an hour before voting began.
She claimed Shibir supporters were engaged in vote rigging at various booths, with some female supporters casting multiple ballots.
Three teachers reportedly aligned with BNP -- Prof Shamima Sultana, Nazrul Islam, and Nahrin Khan -- also stepped down from their roles, citing widespread irregularities.
“We have been witnessing irregularities since morning. Extra ballot papers were supplied to each centre. When we protested, officials simply told us to tear up the extra ballots,” Prof Shamima told reporters.
She also said the indelible ink used to mark voters’ fingers was ineffective. “Under these circumstances, we feel we cannot continue to be part of this election,” she added.
Voting began at 9am in a festive atmosphere, with 178 candidates vying for 25 JUCSU posts. About 1,200 police personnel were deployed across the campus to ensure smooth proceedings.
Four more panels boycott Jucsu polls
Alongside JCD, four more panels -- Sampritir Oikya, Swatantra Angikar Parishad, Songshoptak Parishad, and candidates from the Socialist Student Front -- have boycotted the Jahangirnagar University Central Students' Union (Jucsu) election.
"We are deeply frustrated and angry. We are boycotting this election and demand an immediate fresh election under a new commission and a new schedule," said Sharan Ahsan, general secretary candidate of Sampritir Oikya.
With this, five out of eight panels have withdrawn from the election.
Sharan announced the decision on behalf of the groups at a press briefing held in the Transport Area in the evening.
He claimed widespread irregularities, mismanagement and bias by both the university administration and the election commission.
"Students waited 33 years for this election, but the entire process has turned into a nightmare," he said.
The panels cited several irregularities, including polling agents being barred from booths for the first two hours, easily washable voter ink, and leaflets of a particular panel being distributed inside polling booths, especially in women's halls, where male candidates were also allowed to enter.
They further alleged that extra ballot papers were printed, some of which were later found lying around. In Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall, ballot papers were printed without all candidates' names, which were later added by hand.
The groups also accused the administration of deliberately cancelling some candidacies while allowing others to avoid mandatory dope tests. Despite repeated complaints from Shibir, Chhatra Dal and left-leaning panels, the election commission did not change its approach, they said.
