The election commission for the Chittagong University Central Students鈥� Union polls on Sunday began distributing nomination forms as it had published the final voter list.聽
According to the final list, the number of voters for the central and hall union polls stands at 27,634, marking an increase in 1,768 voters than that in the draft list.
The list was published on the university website (cucsu.cu.ac.bd) following recommendations by the scrutiny committee and approval of the vice-chancellor.
Speaking about the publication of the final voter list, election commissioner Professor Dr AKM Ariful Haque Siddique said the hall-based voter list could not be finalised yet as many first-year students had not yet been attached to the halls.
Hall-based voter lists would be provided within the next couple of days, he said.
He further said that candidates could collect nomination forms using their departmental voter numbers.
By producing their student identity cards, aspirant candidates could collect forms for Tk 300 for the central students鈥� union and for Tk 200 for the hall unions.
On the first day of distribution, 26 students collected CUCSU nomination forms with Tayebul Alam Farazi of Shahjalal Hall, a candidate for sports secretary, collecting the first one.
The distribution of nomination forms began about 9:00am at the CUCSU office.
The distribution will close at 3:30pm on September 16.
Chief election commissioner Professor Monir Uddin said that so far the environment on the campus was peaceful.
鈥榃e are hopeful that the election will be completed smoothly,鈥� he said.
As per the election schedule, nomination forms must be submitted by September 17 and scrutiny to carried out on September 18.
The preliminary list of candidates will be published on September 21, while the deadline for withdrawal has been fixed for September 23.
The final list of candidates will be announced on September 25.
Polling is scheduled for October 12 from 9:00am to 4:00pm, when students from 54 departments and institutes will cast their votes at the polling centres to be established at the academic buildings.
Apart from the central union, the unions for 14 residential halls will also be elected at the polls.
Chittagong University, established in 1966, has held CUCSU elections only six times: in 1970, 1972, 1974, 1979, 1981 and 1990.
In 1981, a full panel of Islami Chhatra Shibir won, while the last election in 1990 saw leaders from Bangladesh Chhatra League, student wing of Awami League, and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, student wing of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, elected.
Following the killing of Sarbadaliya Chhatra Oikya leader Farukuzzaman Faruk in December 1990, CUCSU activities were suspended.
The coming election will be held for the first time in 35 years.
