A day after meeting the prime minister and seeking her all-out cooperation for a functional Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU), its elected leader Nurul Huq Nur demanded a fresh election in a free, fair and credible manner.

Addressing the media on Sunday (Mar 17), the vice president-elect claimed he “lost concentration in front of all the leaders of Chhatra League” during the event at Ganabhaban the previous day.

Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) is the student affiliate of the ruling Awami League.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina invited all elected members of DUCSU and hall unions, all 259 students, to a discussion at her official residence on Saturday.

Emerging from the event, Nur told the media that there were some irregularities and misconduct in the elections, and he had urged the prime minister to investigate them and that he will take oath to his office.

However, speaking before the media on the campus on Sunday, he demanded a fresh election to the students’ unions.

Nur claimed they were informed that elected leaders of DUCSU and hall unions will be at the Ganabhaban event, but leaders and activists of different BCL units were there.

“I felt uncomfortable. You know it’s tough to speak when someone loses his concentration. I couldn’t say a lot of things, which I was supposed to say,” he added.

Nur said that he went to the Ganabhaban “out of respect to the prime minister”.

“Dhaka University is an autonomous organization and the university has the full authority accordingly. So, we urge the university administration for re-run of the election."

The government has nothing to do with the DUCSU elections, he said before adding, “I drew the prime minister’s attention to the irregularities in the election, which the students want to be addressed. I urged the prime minister to inform it to the university administration.”

Urging the media not to “misrepresent him”, Nur said, “I had said that despite the rigging and irregularities, we won the posts of VP and social service secretary and called for re-election to other posts. But the students want fresh polls to all DUCSU posts and I stand by with them.”

Later, two independent panels and Chhatra Federation in a joint press conference announced that they would boycott all classes and examinations tomorrow to press home their demands.

They will stage a demonstration at the Raju Sculpture on DU campus and march to the vice chancellor’s office.

They also placed a five-point demand at the media call, including re-election, immediate announcement of its schedule, withdrawing controversial officials, and withdrawal of cases against candidates.