After a long wait of 35 years, the much-anticipated elections to the Chittagong University Central Students' Union (Cucsu) and hall unions began this morning.
Voting started at 9:00am at 15 polling centres set up in five faculty buildings, with 689 booths arranged in 60 rooms. Although voting was scheduled to start at 9:00am, it began around 9:20am at most centres across the five faculty buildings. Polling will continue until 5:00pm.
Our correspondents are reporting from the university campus. Follow real-time updates below-
Inside a polling station for the Cucsu election, voters engage with election officials as the long-awaited voting process commences. Photo: Rajib Raihan
1:30pm
Around 35% votes cast till 1:00pm
Approximately 35 percent of votes were cast in the Chittagong University Central Students' Union (Cucsu) election till 1:00pm, Cucsu election Commission's member secretary Ariful Haque Siddiqui told reporters around 1:50pm.
At the arts and humanities faculty, six booths recorded a 30 percent turnout and another six booths 35 percent by 1:00pm, according to Prof Md Ikbal Shaheen Khan, faculty dean and returning officer.
The faculty has a total of 5,263 registered voters. In the Social Sciences Faculty, 2,859, out of 6,618 voters had cast ballots, marking a turnout of 44 percent.
Meanwhile, at the science faculty centre, nearly 50 percent of votes were cast by 1:45pm, according to returning officer Prof Md Al Amin.
The centre serves voters from Shah Amanat, Shahid Abdur Rab and Masterda Surja Sen halls, with a total of 4,538 registered voters.
12:50pm
'Failed to find indelible ink across the country,' says Cucsu CEC
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) of the Chittagong University Central Students' Union (Cucsu), Monir Uddin, has said indelible ink could not be found anywhere in the country ahead of today's election, terming it a sign of "national incompetence."
He made the remark during a briefing after candidates backed by Islami Chhatra Shibir and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD) alleged that the ink used to mark voters' fingers was easily removable.
"We had searched everywhere, from Chawkbazar (of Chattogram) to Dhaka. We even went to the Election Commission office. But we couldn't find any permanent ink," Monir said.
12:35pm
Voting results to be announced quickly: CU Pro-VC
Chittagong University's Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Md Kamal Uddin, said votes will be counted using OMR technology, ensuring no time is wasted.
In response to a question, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Kamal Uddin said, "If you ask whether we followed DUCSU one hundred percent — no, we didn't. But we learned from their experience and addressed the problems they faced by developing alternative systems."
12:20pm
Credit for congenial environment goes to students: CU VC
After visiting the polling centres, Chittagong University Vice-Chancellor Professor Mohammad Yahya Akhter today said all necessary measures have been taken to ensure a free, fair, and credible election, "as it would also serve as a rehearsal for the upcoming national election."
"This is the students' election, they wanted it eagerly. The election campaigning went wonderfully. No one was obstructed. They maintained a congenial environment for the election while adhering to the code of conduct."
A free, fair, and favorable environment is essential for any election, the credit for that goes to the students, he added.
12:00pm
Live feed cameras at CU arts faculty polling centres go offline
Nine cameras set up to broadcast live footage of the polling process at Chittagong University's Faculty of Arts and Humanities were found to be non-operational for nearly an hour on election day.
Of these, three had reportedly been offline since the morning and no action has been taken yet, said Touhidul Islam Bhuiyan, a candidate for the post of office secretary.
Photo: SM Mahfuj Ahmed
The disruption sparked concern among students and candidates, who had gathered to monitor the proceedings via LED screens installed at the faculty.
Assistant Proctor Professor Korban Ali confirmed that the university's technical team had been alerted.
"All LED screens were functioning initially, but some technical issues have caused disruptions," he said.
11:30am
Shibir-backed panel raises concern over slow voting, removable ink in Cucsu polls
Ibrahim Roni, vice president candidate of the Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed Sompritir Shikkharthi Jote panel, has expressed concern over the slow pace of voting and the alleged use of removable ink in the ongoing Cucsu elections.
After casting his vote at the IT faculty polling centre around 11:00am, Roni told reporters, "We noticed that voting is going very slowly. From the social sciences Faculty we heard that only a few votes have been cast so far."
He said the panel had earlier demanded the use of indelible ink to prevent malpractice. However, he claimed the ink being used could easily be removed.
"I just cast my vote and came out. Look at my hand, the ink is already fading. The chief election commissioner had promised ink that would not wear off for 15 days, but it did not even last 15 minutes," he said.
"If the ink can be wiped off, it raises questions about neutrality. Twenty-eight thousand students will have this question," he added.
Roni urged the university administration and the election commission to take immediate steps to address the issue.
He said his panel would accept the results only if the administration ensured a neutral and fair environment throughout the election process.
11:15am
Shibir-backed panel hopeful vows to accept Cucsu poll results
Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed Sompritir Shikkharthi Jote panel's General Secretary candidate, Sayed Bin Habib, said his group would accept the results of the ongoing Cucsu elections, regardless of the outcome.
When asked about allegations of non-permanent ink being used at polling booths, Sayed said he had just cast his vote and had not witnessed any such issue himself.
Photo: Md Abbas
"If any allied organisation thinks such a problem exists, they will surely file a complaint. We have seen that indelible ink is being used," he told reporters after voting at the IT Faculty centre around 10:45am.
Sayed added that the situation on campus appeared normal and peaceful, with each voter taking around eight to ten minutes to cast their five ballots.
11:00am
Ink used in voting not permanent, allege Chhatra Dal GS candidate
Abdullah Al Noman, general secretary of the Chhatra Dal CU unit, and Hasibur Rahman Rony, an independent candidate for the post of Social Service and Environment Affairs, have alleged that the ink used in voting is not permanent, raising concerns about potential vote rigging.
Noman said that they have lodged complaints with the election commissioner.
Hasibur further claimed that 20 ballot papers lacking the signature of the presiding officer were submitted at polling centre number 214 in the IT Faculty.
Speaking to reporters, Professor SM Sharifuzzaman, assistant returning officer of the IT Faculty, told The Daily Star that no permanent voting ink is available in the country, which is why permanent markers are being used after voting.
Regarding the unsigned ballots, he said the issue has been addressed and will be rectified following the election.
10:32am
A festive mood has gripped the Chittagong University campus as students turned up in large numbers to cast their first-ever votes in the long-awaited Cucsu elections today.
Students were seen smiling, taking photos, and discussing their favourite panels, creating a lively atmosphere across the campus.
Candidates and their supporters were also seen near polling centres, speaking to voters, giving last-minute messages, and encouraging them to vote.
09:00am
Long queues were seen at the BBA, Social Science, IT, Science, and Arts and Humanities faculties. Many students waited eagerly to cast their first votes, and a visible sense of enthusiasm filled the air despite the delayed start.
Photo: Rajib Raihan
A festive atmosphere has prevailed on the campus as students thronged the polling centres, many expressing excitement at casting their votes for the first time.
The university administration arranged special shuttle train trips and additional buses to help students living in the city reach the campus. One such shuttle train carrying students arrived from Chattogram city at 8:30am.
Photo: Rajib Raihan
Speaking to The Daily Star, Ali Mohammad Mortaza, a student of accounting and information systems, said he was excited to vote for the first time.
"I have never voted before and never felt interested in any election, but this one is different," he said, adding that the Cucsu polls would help restore a democratic environment on campus. He hoped that whoever wins would work for the welfare of the students.
A total of 700 polling booths have been set up. Each student will receive five ballot papers—four for the Cucsu posts and one for the hall union posts. Students will get a maximum of ten minutes to cast their votes for 26 Cucsu posts and 14 hall union posts, meaning they will have to cast about one vote every 20 seconds.
Out of the university's 14 entry gates, seven remain closed today. Students are being allowed to enter only upon showing their identity cards. To prevent outsiders from entering the campus, security measures have been set up at 24 points.
Chief Election Commissioner Prof Monir Uddin earlier said transparent ballot boxes and ballot papers have been prepared. He said sufficient time has been allocated for voters and all polling rooms are under CCTV surveillance. The footage will be preserved even in case of a power outage, he added. Each polling centre also has two medical teams on standby.
Photo: SM Mahfuj Ahmed
According to the draft voter list, 27,521 students are eligible to vote.
The election commission said a total of 908 candidates are contesting the polls. Of them, 415 candidates, including 47 women, are vying for 26 posts in the central body from 13 panels as well as independent platforms, while 493 candidates are contesting 14 posts in the hall unions.
Ballot counting will be conducted using OMR machines. Each centre has a photo-based voter list and transparent ballot boxes, while LED screens have been installed for live updates on voting and counting.
To ensure a free and peaceful election, eight teams of Rapid Action Battalion have been deployed on the campus alongside police, plainclothes intelligence officers, and university security personnel. The army will remain on standby as a striking force.
Since the establishment of Chittagong University in 1966, the first Cucsu election was held in 1970. Although the polls were supposed to be held annually, various obstacles prevented that. The last election took place on February 8, 1990, making today's vote the seventh Cucsu election in the university's history.
