Girls find stashed ballots at Rokeya Hall
Rokeya Hall students have found hidden stash of ballots during Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) elections.
The discovery was made after nearly four hours of protests over discrepancy with the number of ballot boxes available for voting.
Liton Nandi, panel leader for leftists and a vice president candidate, told The Daily Star the hall had nine ballot boxes. “The authorities only showed six while commencing voting.”
Around 11:45am, the ballot boxes were retrieved by the girls. Inside the boxes were fresh ballots hidden away from the election process.
Protests have been rocking Rokeya Hall since morning over the discrepancy with ballot boxes with girls demanding that the authorities show the remaining three boxes.
Quota reform leader and vice president candidate for Ducsu, Nurul Huq Nur was assaulted at scene while inquiring about the discrepancy.
Bangladesh Chhatra League’s President Rezwanul Haque Chowdhury Shovon and General Secretary Golam Rabbani, both Ducsu candidates, were present at scene.
There have been allegations from the students of assault and harassment by Chhatra League activists of the hall.
The girls were chanting slogans demanding resignation of the hall’s provost over the election irregularity.
Around 1:45pm, the students of Rokeya Hall surrounded chief returning officer Professor Mahfuzur Rahman as he was leaving the hall premises and demanded re-election.
The voting at the hall was suspended around 12:00pm following the allegation of discovery of stashed ballot papers.
Later, the election at the hall was reopened around 3:00pm, our DU correspondent report from the spot.
Later, the voting was resumed by bringing leftover ballot papers from other halls, said Returning Officer Prof Farhana Ferdousi.
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