The University of Dhaka held an emergency press conference on Sunday to address media reports concerning the location and quantity of ballot printing for the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) and hall union elections.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Niaz Ahmed Khan and Professor Abdul Matin Chowdhury presented a written statement clarifying the allegations during the briefing, held at the university’s virtual classroom at 11am. Also present were Pro-VC Sayema Haque Bidisha, Chief Returning Officer Zashim Uddin, Proctor Saifuddin Ahmed, and other senior officials.
The administration explained that, due to an unprecedented number of voters and candidates, ballot printing was outsourced to a qualified vendor through competitive tendering. The aim was to ensure timely delivery while maintaining procedural integrity.
It was revealed that the associate vendor printed 88,000 ballots using 22 reams of paper at a Nilkhet facility without prior notification to the university.
After printing, cutting, and pre-scanning, 86,243 ballots were finalized for supply, with excess ballots destroyed according to standard protocol.
The vendor attributed the lack of communication to workload pressure and assured that all operations were conducted under strict security measures.
University officials emphasized that the location or volume of ballot printing does not compromise electoral fairness.
Each ballot undergoes a multi-step process before being deemed valid for use: printing and cutting to specification, pre-scanning with security codes for OMR readability, and final authentication with signatures and seals from designated election officers.
According to the official work order, 239,244 ballots were prepared for 39,874 registered voters (six ballots per voter). Post-election data showed that 29,821 voters participated, using 178,926 ballots, while 60,318 ballots remained unused.
The administration also reiterated its commitment to transparency.
Candidates may request access to CCTV footage or signed voter lists through formal procedures. Such reviews will be conducted in the presence of experts or authorized representatives, in line with legal guidance.
Dhaka University reaffirmed that all electoral processes were carried out with due diligence and in accordance with established protocols to uphold the integrity of the student union elections.
