Cucsu election: Voter list yet to be finalised

Despite publishing guidelines for the long-awaited Chittagong University Central Students' Union (Cucsu) election on August 1, the election process shows little progress. The voter list is yet to be finalised, and no schedule has been announced.

Cucsu Election Commission Chairman Prof Monir Uddin said, "Due to changes in our committee and the absence of a permanent office, our meetings are being held in different venues, which is slowing down the process. We have so far received voter lists from 36 out of 54 departments and institutes. A final decision regarding the voter list and schedule may come in our meeting next Monday (August 25)."

In reply to a question about which departments have yet to submit their voter lists, he said, "We do not want to disclose that right now, as we still have several tasks to complete with the departments concerned regarding the Cucsu election."

Member Secretary Prof Ariful Haque Siddique said, "We had asked all departments to submit voter information a week ago. But many submitted IDs without names, while others provided names without IDs, causing delays. We hope to finalise everything by Sunday and discuss the schedule on Monday."

Following the July uprising and political changeover, universities across the country revived discussions on student union elections. While Dhaka, Rajshahi, and Jahangirnagar universities have already announced election dates and are nearing completion of the nomination process, CU remains stuck with an incomplete voter list and no schedule in sight.

While talking to The Daily Star, Mehedi Hasan, a student of International Relations at the CU, said, "Most students fail to realise the importance of Cucsu. Even the leadership has not been able to convey its significance. Using students' apathy as an excuse, the administration is deliberately delaying the election."

Meanwhile, inclusion of MPhil and PhD students as voters and candidates in the polls, along with the age limit set at 30, sparked widespread criticism.

Student groups alleged that the administration brought MPhil and PhD students under the electoral process even though most organisations opposed their inclusion during earlier discussions.

At a recent press conference, the CU unit of Chhatra Dal claimed this move was intended to benefit a particular political group.

Md Sabuj, joint secretary of Chhatra Adhikar Parishad, said, "Delays are either due to a lack of sincerity or pressure from higher authorities."

CU Chhatra Dal General Secretary Abdullah Al Noman said, "The administration is not neutral. The guidelines have been tailored to benefit certain groups. They are delaying the date to calculate how best to favour them."

Meanwhile, CU Shibir President Mohammad Ali announced a rally for next Sunday, rejecting allegations that his organisation influenced the inclusion of MPhil and PhD students.

Revolutionary Student Unity Convener Tahsan Habib said, "CU students fought the hardest for the polls, but the administration has failed to deliver. This is a clear sign of insincerity."

When asked, CU Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof Kamal Uddin said, "There is no reason for the polls not to be held. The commission is working, and the voter list will be ready by Monday. We expect the schedule within a week and aim to complete the election by September."

The last Cucsu polls were held in 1990.