The Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed Combined Student Alliance panel secured a landslide victory in the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (Rucsu) election, winning 20 out of 23 posts.
The panel, however, lost the posts of general secretary (GS), sports secretary, and science and technology secretary.
Among them, the general secretary position was won by a candidate supported by the Bangladesh Jatiotabadi Chhatra Dal (BNP’s student wing).
Similar results were earlier observed in student union elections at Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, and Chittagong University, where panels backed by Chhatra Shibir also won most of the positions.
The Rucsu election appeared to continue that trend.
In the election, Mostakur Rahman (Jahid) from the Shibir-backed combined Student Alliance won the vice president (VP) post, while Salauddin Ammar from the Anti-Domination Unity panel won the GS post.
Held after a gap of three and a half decades, this was the 17th Rucsu election in the university’s 72-year history.
The results were officially announced by Chief Election Commissioner Professor F Nazrul Islam around 9am on Friday at Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium.
Mostakur Rahman (Jahid) secured 12,687 votes, while his closest rival Sheikh Nur Uddin (Abir) from the Chhatra Dal-backed United New Generation panel received 3,397 votes.
For the GS post, Salauddin Ammar won by a wide margin, obtaining 11,497 votes.
His closest rival, Fazle Rabbi Md Fahim Reza from the Shibir-backed panel, received 5,727 votes.
Ammar is a former coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, while Fahim Reza also previously served as a coordinator.
In the assistant general secretary (AGS) race, S M Salman Sabbir from the Shibir-backed panel was elected with 6,975 votes, defeating Chhatra Dal-backed candidate Jahin Biswas Esha, who got 5,951 votes.
National footballer and Chhatra Dal-supported candidate Nargis Khatun won the Sports Secretary post—the only victory for the Chhatra Dal-backed panel. The Science and Technology Secretary post went to independent candidate Tofael Ahmed Tofa.
All other positions were secured by candidates from the Shibir-backed alliance, including Jahid Hasan Zhoa (cultural secretary), Rakibul Islam (assistant cultural Secretary), Abu Sayeed Nayeem (assistant sports secretary), Saeeda Hafsa (women affairs secretary), and Samia Jannat (assistant women affairs secretary).
Nazmus Sakib won the Information and Research Secretary post, with Sifat Abu Saleh as Assistant.
Mujahidul Islam became Media and Publication Secretary, while Asadullah Hil Galib and Mujahidul Islam Sayem were elected assistants.
Imran Laskar and Nayon Mursalin won the Debate and Literature Secretary and Assistant posts, respectively, while Abdullah Al Masud and Masuma Islam Momo were elected environment and social welfare secretary and assistant.
Executive member positions were won by Dip, Sujon Chandra, Imjiyaul Ali, and Khalid Hasan.
Voting took place on Thursday from 9am to 4pm across 17 centers in nine buildings.
Vote counting began around 8:30pm, and partial results started to be announced by 10:30pm, beginning with the women’s halls.
A total of 28,901 students were eligible to vote, including 11,305 female and 17,596 male voters. The voter turnout was 69.83%.
Chief Election Commissioner Professor F Nazrul Islam said during the announcement: “It was possible to hold this election only because of firm and determined decisions. I cannot express in words how much support we received from the administration. The Vice Chancellor repeatedly said, ‘The election must be held, no matter what.’ If there is any success in this election, it belongs solely to our students. I dedicate this long-awaited election and its results to my beloved students.”
