The election commission for the Chittagong University Central Students’ Union and hall union elections on Thursday published the final list of candidates, with 415 contesting 26 central posts and 493 vying for different posts at male and female halls.
According to the list released on the CUCSU web site, 24 candidates will contest the vice-president post, 22 the general secretary post and 21 the assistant general secretary post.
Election commission member secretary professor AKM Ariful Haque Siddique said that after scrutiny, appeals and withdrawals, 415 candidates would finally run in the CUCSU polls.
‘From today [Thursday], candidates can begin their campaign. Now only the voting remains. We hope to deliver a fair election,’ he said.
Among the other posts, 12 candidates are vying for sports secretary, 14 for assistant sports secretary, 17 for literature, culture and publication secretary, 15 for assistant literature, culture and publication secretary post, 17 for office secretary, 14 for assistant office secretary, 13 for female students’ welfare secretary, 10 for assistant female students’ welfare secretary, 11 for science and information technology secretary, 12 for research and innovation secretary, 20 for social welfare and environment secretary, 15 for health secretary, 17 each for liberation war and democratic movement secretary, 16 for career development and international relations secretary, 17 for communication and housing secretary, 14 for assistant communication and housing secretary, nine for law and human rights secretary and 20 for library, cafeteria secretary and 85 candidates for five executive member posts.
This year’s CUCSU election, scheduled for October 15 after a 35-year break, saw 529 students initially collect nomination forms. Of them, 429 submitted their papers. After scrutiny, a draft list of 410 candidates was published on September 22. Some of the 19 who were dropped later had their candidacies reinstated through appeals, while 11 others withdrew on the last day of withdrawal on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Islami Chhatra Shibir, Bangladesh Chhatra Union, Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, Islami Chhatra Andolon, and a coalition of left student groups and Pahari Chhatra Parishad announced their panels.
According to the final voter list, total 27,521 students are eligible to vote.
Chittagong University, established in 1966, has held CUCSU elections only six times: in 1970, 1972, 1974, 1979, 1981 and 1990.