The long-awaited elections for the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) and hall unions concluded with a voter turnout of 69.83 percent, as confirmed by Chief Returning Officer Dr. Setaur Rahman.
A total of 28,901 students were registered to vote and 20,187 exercised their right to choose student representatives.
Syed Ameer Ali Hall recorded the highest voter turnout at 77.78 percent, where 959 out of 1,233 registered students cast their votes.
On the other hand, the lowest participation was observed at Rokeya Hall, a female dormitory, with a turnout of 59.60 percent; 1,295 out of 2,173 students voted there.
Speaking to the media after voting concluded, Chief Election Commissioner Professor F Nazrul Islam praised the overall environment, calling it an exceptional election based on student feedback.
“It was a festive and peaceful day. Students voted enthusiastically, and the election monitoring team said this was one of the best-conducted student polls they’ve witnessed,” he said.
Election Commissioner Professor Mostafa Kamal Akand echoed similar sentiments, describing the event as a “festival of votes.”
He acknowledged that while there were some minor issues, no major irregularities were reported.
Addressing allegations raised by Chhatra Dal at Ziaur Rahman Hall about vote tampering, he clarified that voting was halted for an hour only because of space limitations, leading to long queues outside.
“There was no ballot theft. One presiding officer had signed a few ballots before going to prayer and left them with a colleague, which was misinterpreted. It’s not a serious issue,” he added.
Turnout figures from other male halls were also high. Shah Makhdum Hall had a turnout of 77.71 percent (1,095 of 1,409 voters), while Hossain Shaheed Suhrawardy Hall saw 77.60 percent participation (1,445 of 1,862 voters). Sher-e-Bangla Fazlul Haque Hall recorded 73.92 percent turnout (734 of 994) and Nawab Abdul Latif Hall had 69.78 percent turnout (770 of 1,130).
In Shamsuzzoha Hall, 76.53 percent of voters turned up (992 out of 1,304), while Habibur Rahman Hall reported 71.55 percent participation (1,750 of 2,446). Madar Bux Hall had 71.25 percent turnout (1,334 of 1,878), and Motihar Hall saw 73.22 percent (1,370 of 1,878). Ziaur Rahman Hall recorded 71.68 percent turnout (1,407 of 1,963), while July 24 Hall had 73.84 percent (1,129 of 1,534).
Turnout among female dormitories remained comparatively lower. Rahmatunnnesa Hall saw 60.70 percent (1,072 of 1,766 voters), Begum Khaleda Zia Hall had 61.49 percent (784 of 1,275), and Munnujan Hall reported 67.11 percent (1,598 of 2,381). Taposi Rabeya Hall saw 63.66 percent turnout (791 of 1,241), and July 36 Hall recorded 66.87 percent participation (1,653 of 2,472).
Overall, the high turnout and peaceful atmosphere were hailed as a significant step toward restoring participatory student politics at Rajshahi University.
For many students, this was their first experience with student union elections, and the enthusiasm reflected a strong desire for representation and change.
SH
