The distribution of nomination papers for the long-awaited Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union, hall union and senate representative elections began on Sunday, with six students collecting the forms on the first day.
RU unit of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, submitted an application to the RUCSU election commissioner, requesting him to delay the polls.
Of the students who collected nominations forms, five collected the forms to contest various posts in the RUCSU polls, while one candidate collected the form for the Khaleda Zia Hall union election, chief election commissioner professor F Nazrul Islam told reporters at a briefing held in the evening.
The distribution of nomination forms will continue until 5:00pm tomorrow.
Nazrul said that they had decided to form a committee to look after the security issues during the elections, and to include photographs of students in the voter lists.
‘Since these elections concern the entire student community, the participation of all is essential. We will sit with different student organisations to discuss their demands, including relocating polling centres to academic buildings, the two-month extension sought by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, and other issues. Whether the polls will be rescheduled cannot be confirmed now,’ he added.
According to the election schedule, the RUCSU elections are slated for September 15. Forms for RUCSU and senate elections are available at RUCSU treasurer’s office at Kazi Nazrul Islam auditorium, while hall union nomination forms are being distributed at the respective hall offices.
RU JCD president Sultan Ahmed Rahi said that they had requested the authorities to delay the elections as several issues must be addressed before holding the polls.
‘The university authorities have not published the list of voters with photographs yet. Besides, there are also various inconsistencies in the published lists of voters,’ he said.
Rahi alleged that the university administration had recently appointed a new chief election commissioner for the RUCSU elections without any discussions with the student organisations.
The previous election commissioner was appointed Public Service Commission member.
‘The new RUCSU election commissioner held the RU Alumni Association elections although the Bangladesh National Party boycotted the election. We have no confidence in him,’ he said.