First-year students of Rajshahi University will be able to take part as both voters and candidates in the upcoming Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) elections.
To accommodate this inclusion, the deadline for collecting nomination forms has been extended by one day.
The decision was made on Tuesday, September 2, at a meeting of the election commissioners held at the RUCSU treasurer’s office, and later announced by Chief Election Commissioner F. Nazrul Islam at a press conference.
According to the commissioners, the schedule for the RUCSU, Senate, and Hall Union polls has been revised in response to student demands and suggestions so that participation can be ensured for all, including those admitted in the 2024–25 academic session.
First-year students were also allotted halls on Tuesday, and the process of adding their names to the voter list has already begun. As a result, they will now be able to collect nomination forms until September 3.
Election Commissioner Professor Mostafa Kamal Akand explained that the decision was taken under special circumstances to broaden participation while keeping the election date of September 25 unchanged.
He said the commission had faced several challenges but hoped to receive cooperation from all sides in conducting the polls.
This is the sixth time the election schedule has been revised, with the date of voting having already been postponed twice. So far, 415 nomination forms have been collected for Hall Unions, 339 for RUCSU, and 76 for the Senate, while the dope-testing process for candidates is currently underway.
Under the new timetable, scrutiny of nominations will be carried out on September 8 and 9, the preliminary list of candidates will be released on September 10, objections and appeals will be addressed on September 11, and the final list will be published on September 14.
Polling, counting, and results will all take place on September 25 in designated academic buildings.
The move comes after several student organizations, including the Rajshahi University units of Chhatra Dal and Chhatra Shibir, demanded that first-year students be added to the voter list.
Their demand has now been accepted through the revised schedule, ensuring the participation of all current students in the long-awaited RUCSU elections.
