A group of leaders of Bangladesh Nationalist Party鈥檚 student organisation Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, whose regular studentship at Rajshahi University has expired, on Saturday staged a demonstration demanding the inclusion of their names in the voter list for the upcoming university central students鈥� union, hall unions and Senate student representative elections.
The leaders, including RU JCD joint general secretaries MA Taher Rahman, Abu Sayed and Imran Hossain Rakesh and Huseyn Shaheed Suhrawardy Hall unit senior joint general secretary Mahmud Hasan, met the chief election commissioner, Professor F Nazrul Islam, at about 11:00am to press their demands.
As Professor Nazrul told them that the commission had no jurisdiction to do so, the JCD leaders staged a sit-in in front of the RUCSU treasurer鈥檚 office.
Due to the demonstration, the commission members鈥� works were largely prevented, said an official.
Taher Rahman claimed that their sit-in was aimed at addressing irregularities in the voter list for a fair election.
Abu Sayed said that he had just completed his master鈥檚 degree but was denied the voting right.
鈥榃e risked our lives to do politics during the Sheikh Hasina regime. My master鈥檚 results were published only a few days ago. Seniors of my session are on the list, but I am not. If someone from my session of another department is allowed as a voter, the entire batch should get the same opportunity,鈥� he said.
RU unit JCD president Sultan Ahmed Rahi said, 鈥楽ome leaders of my organisation went there in their personal capacity, not on behalf of the organisation.鈥�
Professor Nazrul said that they had informed the protesting students that the issue had to be decided by the vice-chancellor, not by the commission.
Several JCD leaders, whose studentship had expired, also requested the vice-chancellor to introduce a 鈥榙ouble masters鈥� system so that they could retain eligibility to contest RUCSU polls, according to JCD insiders.
RU pro-VC (academic) Professor Farid Uddin Khan said that the matter required approval from the academic council.
Meanwhile, the commission for the RUCSU, hall unions, and Senate student representative elections on Saturday formed a five-member committee to prevent cyberbullying during the upcoming elections, slated for September 25.
The commission appointed computer science and engineering Professor Md Ekramul Hamid as the convener of the committee, said a press release on Saturday evening.
The collection of nomination papers for the elections will end today, while candidates will be able to submit the nomination papers until September 7.
