United News of Bangladesh

The Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) election of 2025 isn't just about who wins; it's about a fundamental shift in campus politics. The shift is characterized by a focus on issues, service, and collaboration over traditional ideology and confrontation. This new style, particularly demonstrated by the fresh faces, involves running a continuous "proof-based campaign" highlighting "procedural steps & microresults". The Race for Control: Jote's Scale vs. Oikkoboddo's New Posture According to UNB PLUS data, the contest is primarily between two major panels. The Sommilito Shikkharthi Jote (Shibir) enters as the organized and experienced team , currently commanding the conversation with a strong 58.60% engagement and an "exceptionally clean tone" of 93.75% positivity. The Jote panel, described as disciplined and data-driven, currently leads the overall race. In contrast, the JCD-backed Oikkoboddo Notun Projanmo panel is the face of change, introducing "fresh faces" who are academically strong and politically unscarred. Their candidates including Nur Uddin (VP), Nafiul Islam Jibon (GS), and Zahin Biswas Esha (AGS) are first-time contestants focused on process, policy, and inclusion. Oikkoboddo retains a substantial presence with 36.52% engagement but carries a heavier negative load (15.52%) than Jote, which the analysis suggests they must reduce to win over undecided voters. Read more: RUCSU elections underway after 35 years  Crucially, this JCD-backed group has introduced a new political vocabulary, running a continuous "proof-based campaign" focused on "procedural steps and microresults" like seat-list transparency and Wi-Fi uptime, demonstrating a significant departure from confrontational, older models of student politics. Key Contests: VP Leans Jote, AGS is a "Photofinish" According to UNB PLUS data, while Jote is predicted to take the overall panel with a moderate-to-high confidence, the individual lane races are intense: - Vice President (VP): Mostakur Rahman (Jote) currently leads with 62.29% engagement, holding a sustained margin over Sheikh Nur Uddin (Oikkoboddo) at 36.41%. - General Secretary (GS): Fahim Reza (Jote) leads in reach with 67.28% engagement. However, his opponent, Nafiul Islam Jibon (Oikkoboddo), maintains the highest positive tone of any major candidate at 98.06%. - Assistant General Secretary (AGS): This is the most competitive race, deemed a "photofinish." S M Salman Sabbir (Jote) edges the lead in engagement at 47.89%, while his rival, Zahin Biswas Esha (Oikkoboddo), is right behind at 47.73%. While Esha retains scale, Salman's campaign carries a "far cleaner tone" (95.38% positive vs. Esha's 70.98%), a factor that may prove decisive. Read more: No extra ballots printed for RUCSU election: EC Voter Demand: Fairness and Service Over Ideology The ultimate decider for the election is not ideological loyalty, but a demand for "unity-driven fairness with service visibility". While the election process itself remains the dominant topic (62% of engagement), the "marginal votegetters" are themes of Unity (17.43%) and Services & Facilities (7.58%). Students are seeking leaders who can make the system work by becoming a "bargaining authority" that compels the administration to deliver, ensuring accountability and transparency. The Bigger Picture RUCSU Election 2025 is a test of whether today's students will choose the "comfort of old-school, transactional politics" or back a "longer game" where institutions are made more answerable. No matter the final seat count, the election has already marked a significant turning point, institutionalizing a data-driven, digital-first, and policy-minded student leadership that has successfully changed the tone of politics. Read more: Security heightened ahead of RUCSU polls

In the wake of Shibir's decisive victory in the DUCSU election 2025, other parties have received a wake-up call, as the win signals a major shift in student politics. According to a social media sentiment analysis by SharedToday, Shibir's success can be attributed to a positive campaign focused on service and discipline, a strategy other parties may need to adopt. The New Face of Campus Politics The old labels and abstract political narratives are losing their grip on students. Shibir reframed the election around present-day issues such as discipline, order, and practical services. This approach resonated overwhelmingly with students. While the "anti-independence" narrative did see a jump in engagement late in the DUCSU election, it ultimately failed to stop Shibir's momentum. Students chose to interact with content about "present-tense" capacity and discipline, rather than history. A Wake-Up Call from the DUCSU and RUCSU Elections In the recent DUCSU polls, Shibir's victory was a result of a well-executed strategy of timing, simple promises, and strong organization. Shibir's VP candidate, Sadiq, dominated online engagement in the final days, with his share jumping from 53.09% to 88.97%, creating a perception of "inevitability" that rivals couldn't counter. In the General Secretary race, Farhad held his lead from the beginning, while his rivals' engagement shares collapsed. Read more: From DUCSU to JUCSU: Shibir’s winning streak rolls on This trend appears to be continuing in the RUCSU election. According to a SharedToday inception report on September 16, Shibir's Sammilito Jote panel is dominating social media engagement with 92.6% of the share. In the VP race, Shibir's Mostakur Rahman has a commanding 66.2% share of engagement. While JCD and Oikya's campaigns are smaller, they are leaning more positive. For instance, JCD's AGS candidate Zahin Biswas Esha has the strongest individual footprint online, with a 61.3% engagement share in her position. However, the overall data indicates that Shibir's powerful, service-oriented narrative is what is resonating most, capturing over 93% of all panel-level engagement in the early stages of the RUCSU campaign. Lessons for Other Parties The success of Shibir provides a clear lesson for other parties. The fragmented "July Bloc" (including Independent and Odhikar) saw its online engagement share collapse from 4.97% to 0.31% in the final stretch of the DUCSU election, largely due to a drop in presence and lack of "last-mile amplification". JCD, while holding its base in DUCSU, failed to excite voters, and its VP candidate's engagement collapsed from 30.33% to 9.08%. Read more: JUCSU: Newly-elected VP Zitu vows to end sycophantic student politics Shibir's strategy of disciplined organization, a focus on tangible services, and a positive message of moral leadership stands in stark contrast. As other parties look to compete, they may need to move away from old slogans and embrace a more positive, service-oriented approach to win over a pragmatic student body.