Leaders and activists of the Bangladesh Jatiatabadi Chatra Dal, the student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, on Thursday left midway a dialogue on the draft code of conduct for the October 12 Chittagong University Central Students’ Union elections, alleging lack of independence of the election commission.
The meeting saw chaos as they staged a walkout.
The CUCSU election commission organised the dialogue at the Social Sciences Faculty auditorium at about 12.30pm, with representatives of active student organisations and general students attending.
A delegation of the CU unit of Chhatra Dal also joined the event.
Midway through the session, the JCD representatives raised objections to the commissions conduct and decisions. Later, they announced a boycott and walked out of the venue.
CU Chhatra Dal leaders alleged that the commission imposed restrictions at the start of the meeting, including a rule that a student could ask no more than one question.
They claimed that the rule limited the students’ scope for expressing opinions.
CU Chhatra Dal organising secretary Sajjad Hossain Hridoy said, ‘Students have no confidence in the administration.’
CUCSU election commission member secretary professor AKM Ariful Haque Siddique said, ‘Chhatra Dal left the meeting. But this is not the last dialogue, there will be more. We are committed to holding a fair election.’
CUCSU chief election commissioner professor Monir Uddin, among others, was present at the meeting.
On September 10, the CUCSU election commission issued the draft code of conduct, setting out 17 rules for candidates, voters and journalists.
The draft voter list, published on September 8, included 25,866 voters.
The CUCSU polls are going to be held after nearly three decades.
