RUCSU elections deferred to October 16

The elections to the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) and hall unions have been rescheduled for October 16.

Chief Election Commissioner F Nazrul Islam announced the revised date in a statement issued after an emergency meeting of the RUCSU Election Commission held at 7:30 pm on Monday.

The decision came in the wake of protests and clashes between students and teachers over the cancellation of the “ward quota,” which sparked unrest among campus staff.

Citing the need to ensure a peaceful and inclusive electoral process, the Election Commission opted to defer the polls to allow sufficient preparation time and to avoid overlapping with the Puja holidays, when many students and faculty members are away from campus.

While Chhatra Dal and left-leaning alliances welcomed the decision to reschedule the RUCSU elections, the panel supported by Islami Chhatra Shibir rejected it.

Mustakur Rahman, the panel’s vice-president candidate, said, “We do not accept this mockery by the commission. It is a conspiracy to derail the election. We demand the immediate withdrawal of this decision.”