Abidul alleges pre-marked cross signs on Shadik Kayem-Farhad’s ballots

Abidul Islam Khan, the Vice-President candidate backed by Chhatra Dal, has accused rival candidates Shadik Kayem and S.M. Farhad, supported by Jamaat-Shibir, of having their ballot papers pre-marked with cross signs ahead of voting at the Teacher-Student Centre (TSC) of Dhaka University.

Speaking to reporters after inspecting the TSC polling center on Tuesday afternoon, Abidul claimed that the ballots for the Shibir-supported VP candidate Shadik Kayem and GS candidate S.M. Farhad were already marked before the polls opened. The center primarily serves female students from Rokeya Hall.

"This is a disturbing sign for the election process," Abidul said, expressing concerns over the integrity of the vote.

Earlier, allegations were made against Abidul for violating electoral conduct rules, which he denied. “I entered the polling center with permission from the Chief Returning Officer and have not breached any code of conduct,” he stated. “While I was allowed entry into some centers, others denied me access. According to the constitution, candidates and polling agents have the right to enter polling centers to ensure transparency.”

Urging all non-residential students to exercise their voting rights freely, Abidul said, “Your vote is important for upholding human rights, freedom of expression, and sovereignty.”

When asked about reports of vote rigging at Amar Ekushey Hall, he said he had not visited the site and would comment after gathering more information.