RUCSU polls underway after 35-year break

Bangla Press Desk:   Vote casting in the elections to Rajshahi University Central Student Union (RUCSU) and hall unions began at 9am today. The entire campus has put on a festive look as pro-student politics is set to return to the campus after 35 years.

Voting would continue till 4pm at 17 polling centres set up in nine academic buildings. Vote counting would begin at the Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium at 5pm and finish within 17 hours.

Turnout remained low early in the morning, but is expected to pick up as the day progresses.

By 8:30am, ballot boxes were sealed at all centres under the supervision of election officials.

To ensure law and order, 2,000 policemen, six platoons of BGB, and 12 platoons of RAB have been deployed. A special cyber cell has also been set up to check disinformation and online harassment.

Around 28,900 voters would cast ballots to select top candidates for 23 central union posts, 5 Senate representatives, and total 255 posts at 17 hall unions.

Eleven panels have been officially announced, including those backed by Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir. The polls have been deferred repeatedly since June for various reasons, including the recent student-teacher standoff over the “ward quota.”

A section of teachers and university employees had been boycotting duties, demanding “ward quotas” for their children. However, they assured the students elections would be exempted from the strike.

BP/TD