Irregularities in DUCSU Ballot Printing, Major Discrepancies in Numbers

Allegations of irregularities have emerged regarding the printing of ballot papers for the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) elections. According to reports, the ballots were printed in an unsecured environment at a privately owned firm in the Gausul Azam Market, Nilkhet, without any formal tender process. Investigations by local media have revealed significant discrepancies in the number of ballots printed, as reported by the organisations involved.

The ballot papers were reportedly printed at Jalal Press, located in Gausul Azam Market. The press owner claimed to have printed 48,000 sheets, each containing two ballots, totalling 96,000 ballots. These printed sheets were then sent to Makka Paper House, another firm in the same market, for cutting.

• Makka Paper House reported cutting approximately 88,000 ballots.
• According to an employee, the cutting process occurred overnight, and the ballots were collected by the supplier the next morning at 9 a.m.

Investigations further revealed that the only bidder for the printing contract was Anja Corporation Limited.

Despite the absence of a formal work order, a privately owned company called MRM Company Limited received the printing contract. Investigations found that no registered entity exists under that name.

• The printing work was reportedly supervised by Ferdous Wahid, an employee of MRM Engineering Limited.
• At the registered address of this firm, a banner for MM Engineering was displayed.

It was discovered that the three entities – MRM Company, MRM Engineering, and MM Engineering – share the same owner, Aminur Rahman Mia, also known as Russel, who admitted to undertaking the printing without a work order.

Considerable discrepancies were found between the numbers reported by different organisations:

These conflicting figures have raised serious concerns regarding the transparency and integrity of the election preparation process.

Efforts to reach Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Niyaz Ahmad Khan for comment were unsuccessful.

However, Acting Registrar Munshi Shams Uddin Ahmad stated: “All election-related activities are the responsibility of the election commission to ensure free and fair elections.”

Regarding the Nilkhet ballot printing, Deputy Director of Public Relations Farrokh Mahmud said: “The university administration is not upset by this report; the Vice-Chancellor has made that clear.”

Source: News24