After weeks of protests over several demands, the Rajshahi University unit of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal collected nomination papers on Thursday for the upcoming central students’ union and Senate representative elections.
A group of leaders collected 28 forms, including five for Senate seats, from the RUCSU treasurer’s office at about 4:00pm.
Those who collected the forms include vice-president Nuruddin Abir, Jannatul Naeem Tuhina, organising secretary Mahmudul Hasan Mithu, joint secretaries Jaheen Biswas Esha, Shah Muhammad Kafi and Samad Mubin, and several hall unit presidents.
After collecting the nomination forms, organising secretary Mithu said that they would submit the papers by September 4 and announce a panel.
‘But the administration and election commission have behaved unprofessionally from the beginning, and we are still doubtful about the electoral environment,’ he alleged.
Earlier, following the announcement of the RUCSU election schedule on July 28, JCD leaders and activists had been staging demonstrations for their five-point charter of demands, including relocating polling centres from halls to academic buildings, publishing updated photo-based voter lists, enrolling freshers and foreign students, ensuring coexistence of all active student organisations in halls, and holding inclusive and democratic polls.
They had also submitted an application to the university vice-chancellor and the RUCSU election commission, requesting a delay in the elections.
Even on Thursday, they also staged a demonstration on the campus demanding inclusion of freshers in the RUCSU voter list, a day after the commission accepted most of their demands and delayed the polls by 10 days.
Meanwhile, mandatory dope tests for candidates began Thursday at the RU medical centre, with 87 samples collected by noon.
A commission notification on Wednesday night said that the university would bear the expenses of the tests and the candidates must attach the test reports with their nomination papers. Samples will be collected until September 1, except on Friday.
Chief election commissioner Professor F Nazrul Islam said that the test results would be delivered promptly, and any candidate found positive in the dope test would lose eligibility to vie in the polls.
According to the revised schedule, nomination distribution will end on August 31, submission will continue until September 7, scrutiny will be held in September 8–9, and the final list of candidates will be published on September 16.
Voting will take place between 9:00am and 4:00pm on September 25.
