The election commission for Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union polls on Wednesday published the preliminary list of candidates, clearing 255 contestants for 23 posts, while rejecting the nominations of seven aspirants.
According to the list, 19 candidates are set to contest for the vice-president post, 14 for general secretary, and 16 for assistant general secretary post in the RUCSU election set slated for September 25.
For the five senate representative posts, 60 candidates will vie.
The commission said that objections to the preliminary list would be received and settled on Thursday, while candidates would be allowed to withdraw their nominations on Saturday.
The final list of candidates is scheduled to be published on Sunday.
Chief election commissioner Professor F Nazrul Islam told reporters that the nominations of seven candidates were scrapped due to incomplete documentation.
‘We had total 322 applications. Of them, 255 were selected for RUCSU, 60 for Senate, while seven were cancelled, he said, mentioning the absence of bank receipts, signatures, photographs or dope test reports as the cause of cancellation.
‘Those whose nominations were cancelled can appeal by tomorrow. If the appeal is found valid, we will reinstate the candidacy,’ the chief election commissioner said.
The cancelled nominations are one each from the VP, GS, assistant environment and welfare secretary, assistant science and technology secretary, and executive member categories, along with two for senate posts.
Meanwhile, three former coordinators of the Student Movement Against Discrimination in the University announced an 18-member panel to contest the elections.
Former coordinator Salahuddin Ammar announced the panel named ‘Adhipatyabirodhi Okya’ at a press conference in front of the RUCSU building about noon.
From the panel, social work department student Mehedi Hasan (also known as Mehedi Sajib) will contest for vice-president post, Salahuddin Ammar for general secretary, and former coordinator Aqil Bin Taleb for assistant general secretary.
The panel also included Yasin Arafat Bijoy to contest for sports secretary, Mahbub Alam Mohon for cultural secretary, Hema Akhter Eva for women’s affairs secretary, Minhajur Rahman for information and research secretary, Fahir Amin for media and publications secretary, and Zakir Hossain for science and technology secretary.
Responding to rumours that the alliance was a ‘B team’ of Islami Chhatra Shibir, student wing of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, Salahuddin Ammar dismissed the claim as ‘a trivial excuse.’
‘Those on this panel are July fighters. We formed it with competent candidates, and more may join later,’ he said.
AGS candidate Aqil Bin Taleb expressed concern about inconsistencies in the election commission’s activities, particularly ballot numbering and dope test procedures, but hoped the election body would ensure a fair and credible poll.
VP candidate Mehedi Sajib said that they were there either to win or to learn.
‘We have been working for long, and we believe students will judge who is the most competent. If not us, then others. Either way, our responsibility continues,’ he said.
So far, six panels have entered the RUCSU elections race—The Bangladesh Nationalist Party-backed Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Islami Chhatra Shibir announced their panels on Sunday, followed by Ganatantrik Shikkharthi Parishad and RUCSU for Radical Change on Monday.
Another panel backed by a faction of the Bangladesh Chhatra Union was unveiled on Tuesday.
According to the RUCSU elections schedule, the preliminary candidate list was due for release on Wednesday, while the final list of candidates will be published on September 14.
Voting for the RUCSU, hall unions and senate student representatives will take place on September 25 from 9:00am to 4:00pm across all academic buildings, with results to be announced the same day.
