Students of Rajshahi University on Sunday formed a human chain on the campus demanding the announcement of a complete election schedule for the university central students’ union elections, including electoral codes of conduct and a draft voter list.
Over two hundred of them formed the human chain on the university’s Paris Road to press home their demand on Sunday noon.
Addressing the human chain, the speakers said that the university authorities announced an election road map to hold the long-stalled RUCSU elections in June, and they were scheduled to publish the code of electoral conduct on April 13, and draft voter list on April 28.
‘But the university authorities failed to publish the code of electoral conduct and the draft voter list within the stipulated time,’ said Fahim Reza, a former coordinator of Student Movement Against Discrimination.
Fahim Reza said that one of the nine core demands of the July Movement was to hold the university central union elections to eliminate the party-based political activities on the campus.
‘We believe an effective student union can help overcome this culture of blind political allegiance,’ he said.
Mohammad Tajul Islam, a student of the Islamic studies department, said that they were frustrated as no progress was made to hold the RUCSU elections despite their repeated demands.
Mehedi Sajib, another former coordinator of Student Movement Against Discrimination, said that RUCSU election was one of their central demands of the July–August mass uprising.
‘Initially, the administration seemed responsive, but their enthusiasm faded after forming the RUCSU election commission,’ Mehedi Sajib said.
