A platform of literary and cultural organisations at Rajshahi University on Tuesday placed a ten-point proposal to ensure a free, fair, neutral and inclusive election to the long-awaited university central students鈥� union.
At a press conference held at the university鈥檚 Paribahan Market, the organisations demanded shifting of the polling centres to academic buildings from residential halls, and formation of a monitoring cell to prevent cyber bullying and harassment of women candidates.
The press conference was organised by Uttaran Lekhok O Pathoker Sutikaagar, Green Voice, Sahitya Sangsad, Muktalap, and Bangla-Urdu Literary Forum.
Reading out a written statement, Afrin Jahan, a central member of Uttaran Lekhok O Pathoker Sutikaagar, said that they were not fully confident about the neutrality and capacity of the current administration in conducting the RUCSU polls, especially after incidents like the crude bomb blast at the residence of registrar Professor Iftikharul Alam Masud.
鈥楽till, we welcome the administration鈥檚 initiative, as holding the RUCSU election is a historic decision. We demand a credible and milestone election that will help build a democratic campus,鈥� she added.
Their other proposal includes鈥攁llowing journalists to freely access the centres, ensuring coexistence of all candidates and organisations in dormitories and on campus, guaranteeing a level playing field for campaigns, limiting the number of posters and festoons for each candidate, and forming an environment council with representatives of social, cultural and journalist bodies to resist election-related violence.
Their other demands are鈥攆orming an independent observer team of neutral teachers and senior citizens alongside the election commission, preventing individuals or groups linked to the ruling party student body from contesting or voting, including IBA students and foreign students in the voter list, and ensuring transparency by requiring candidates to submit bank accounts, income and expenditure details, and proofs of campaign funding sources.
The last RUCSU election was held in 1989, and repeated demands by students and organisations over the years finally pushed the university to announce the polls on September 15.
