After a long gap of 35 years, elections for the Chittagong University Central Students’ Union (CUCSU) and the hall and hostel councils began on Wednesday (October 15). Voting started in the morning and will continue until 4 p.m.
However, allegations of irregularities have surfaced since the start of voting. Chittagong University Chhatra Dal’s General Secretary, Abdullah Al Noman, claimed that the ink used to mark voters’ fingers is being wiped off easily.
Speaking to Dhaka Post around 10:15 a.m., he said, “We were assured that the ink would be permanent, but in reality, it is coming off easily. We are filing a complaint with the Election Commission regarding this issue.”
A student named Imran Raihan said, “I just cast my vote, but with a little rubbing, the ink disappears. No one can even tell that I have voted.”
Despite these concerns, the long-awaited election has created significant enthusiasm among students. The voting is being conducted through the OMR ballot system.
A total of 15 polling centers and 61 booths have been set up across five faculty buildings. For the 26 posts in CUCSU, 415 candidates are contesting, while 493 candidates are vying for 24 positions in the hall and hostel councils. The total number of registered voters stands at 27,516.