Two female candidates from the Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed Shampritir Shikkharthi Jot (student harmony platform) panel on Sunday lodged a written complaint with the Chittagong University Central Students’ Union election commission, alleging cyber-bullying and slut-shaming.
At about 1:30pm, assistant office secretary candidate Jannatul Adan Nusrat and executive member candidate Jannatul Ferdaus Sanjida submitted the complaint to chief election commissioner Professor Monir Uddin at the CUCSU office.
The complaint stated that ahead of the CUCSU election, various bot accounts, fake Facebook pages and IDs were carrying out defamatory activities targeting female students.
As part of the campaign to humiliate the female students of the university, cyber-bullying, slut-shaming, tagging and false framing were carried out, posing a serious threat to the safety, dignity and mental health of students, and tarnishing the campus environment, the complaint read.
Complaint Jannatul Adan Nusrat said, ‘Just because I am a woman, I am being subjected to cyber-bullying and slut-shaming. That is why I came here to file a complaint.’
Chief election commissioner Professor Monir Uddin said, ‘We have received the written complaint. Cyber-bullying and slut-shaming cannot be tolerated under any circumstances. The matter will be investigated and action will be taken with the assistance of the university administration and law enforcement agencies.’
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 and after scrutiny, a draft list of 410 candidates was published on September 22.
Total 19 students’ candidacies were dropped by the election commission and some of them later had their candidacies reinstated through appeals.
Total 11 candidates 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, held CUCSU elections only six times: in 1970, 1972, 1974, 1979, 1981 and 1990.