Another JUCSU election commissioner resigns

A second member of the Jahangirnagar University Central Students' Union (JUCSU) Election Commission has resigned, intensifying concerns over the transparency of the election process.

Dr. Rezwana Karim Snigdha, a representative of the Bangabandhu Teachers' Council, submitted her resignation on Saturday afternoon (September 13), citing irregularities.

Her resignation comes less than 24 hours after Professor Dr. Mafrohi Sattar, president of the Nationalist Teachers’ Forum, stepped down for similar reasons.

In a press conference on Friday night, Professor Sattar stated that the Election Commission proceeded with vote counting despite his written objections regarding significant procedural flaws. He said these irregularities undermined the credibility of the election and made it impossible for him to continue as a commissioner.

Voting took place on Thursday across 21 residential halls. The election process faced controversy even before polling began, after allegations were raised about the political affiliations of companies involved in providing ballot materials and vote-counting equipment.

In response, the Election Commission opted for manual vote counting instead of using OMR machines.

On election day, the Chhatra Dal panel withdrew at 3:30pm, followed by four left-leaning student panels later in the evening. Several members of the Nationalist Teachers' Forum also announced their withdrawal from the process.

Despite these developments, the commission transported ballot boxes to the Senate Building at 7pm and began counting votes at 10pm. Of the eight panels that initially contested the election, five withdrew, leaving 111 candidates from the remaining three panels.