Candidates affiliated with Chhatra Shibir, student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, have secured major positions in the recently held Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) election, marking a significant return to campus politics after a long hiatus.
Shibir-backed Mostakur Rahman Jahid and SM Salman Sabbir were elected Vice President (VP) and Assistant General Secretary (AGS), respectively.
Meanwhile, independent candidate Salahuddin Ammar, representing Anti-Dominance Unity panel, won the post of General Secretary (GS).
Ammar, a former coordinator of anti-discrimination student movement, secured 11,497 votes, defeating his closest rival, Shibir-backed Fazle Rabbi Md Fahim Reza, who garnered 5,727 votes.
Both candidates had prior involvement in student activism on campus.
For the VP post, Mostakur, contesting under the Combined Students’ Alliance, received 12,687 votes, far ahead of his nearest competitor Sheikh Nur Uddin Abir of Chhatra Dal-backed United New Generation panel, who earned 3,397 votes.
In AGS contest, SM Salman Sabbir won with 6,975 votes, defeating Jahin Biswas Esha, backed by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, who received 5,951 votes.
The RUCSU election, along with hall union and student senate polls, featured a total of 247 candidates vying for 23 central positions.
Additionally, 597 contenders ran for 15 hall union posts across 17 residential halls, while 58 candidates competed for five student senate seats.
Out of 28,901 registered voters, 69.83 percent participated in the election. Voter turnout among female students from six women’s halls stood at 63.24 percent, according to officials.
SH
