United News of Bangladesh

Jamaat-e-Islami’s student wing Chhatra Shibir-backed panel ‘Combined Students’ Alliance,’ has swept the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) election, winning 20 out of 23 posts, including the posts of Vice President (VP) and Assistant General Secretary (AGS). This marks the first landslide victory for the Shibir since the RUCSU election was last held 35 years ago. The only exception came in the General Secretary (GS) race, where Salahuddin Ammar, a former coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement and candidate from the Anti-Dominance Unity panel, won by a big margin. According to results announced on Friday morning, Shibir’s Mostakur Rahman Jahid secured the VP post by bagging 12,745 votes while his nearest candidate Sheikh Nur Uddin Abir, backed by BNP’s student body Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, received 3,332 votes. Mostakur defeated Abir by a margin of 9, 413 votes. Ammar won the GS post with 11,558 votes defeating Shibir’s Fazle Rabbi Md Fahim Reza, who bagged 5,706 votes. Reza suffered a defeat of 5, 852 votes to Ammar.   For the AGS post, Shibir-backed SM Salman Sabbir secured 6,979 votes, narrowly defeating Jahin Biswas Esha of JCD, who got 5,879 votes, showing the tightest contest in The RUCSU polls.   The Shibir-supported panel also dominated in most other posts, including cultural, sports, women’s affairs, environment, media, and executive positions. Winners include Zahid Hasan Zoha (Cultural Secretary), Rakibul Islam (Assistant Cultural Secretary), Abu Sayeed Nayeem (Assistant Sports Secretary), Saeeda Hafsa (Women’s Affairs Secretary), and Samia Jannat (Assistant Women’s Affairs Secretary). In research and publication, Nazmus Saki and Sifat Abu Saleh were elected, while Mujahidul Islam and Asadullah Hil Galib won in media and publication roles.  RUCSU elections held fairly and peacefully, says Observation Team Imran Laskar and Nayan Mursalin were elected in debate and literature, and Abdullah Al Masud along with Masuma Islam Momo won in environment and social service. Executive members elected include Deep, Sujon Chandra, ImjiauI Ali and Khalid Hasan. Vote counting began Thursday evening and concluded Friday morning at the Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium, following results from all 17 halls, including six for female students. This year’s RUCSU, hall, and student senate elections saw 247 candidates contesting for 23 central posts, 597 candidates for 15 hall union posts across 17 residential halls, and 58 candidates for five student senate seats. Out of 28,901 registered voters—including 11,305 female and 17,596 male students—69.83 percent cast their votes, with a 63.24 percent turnout in the women’s halls. Chief Election Commissioner Prof Dr F Nazrul Islam said the long-awaited election was held in a festive and peaceful atmosphere, crediting students for their cooperation and responsible participation after decades of anticipation. Meanwhile, the Shibir-backed panel swept landslide victories in the DUCSU, JUCSU and CUCSU elections.  

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

The long-awaited elections  to the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU), hall unions and student representatives in the university senate are underway today (Thursday) after a 35-year hiatus. This marks the 17th RUCSU election in the 72-year history of Rajshahi University (RU).  Like other public universities in the country, no student union polls have been held at RU since 1990. After several delays and rescheduled dates, students are finally exercising their voting rights to elect their representatives.  The balloting began at 9 am and will continue until 4 pm. No extra ballots printed for RUCSU election: EC Election Commissioner Professor Dr Mustafa Kamal Akand on Wednesday said that no extra ballot papers have been printed for the election. Speaking at a press conference at the university’s Senate Building, he said the RUCSU ballot papers were not printed from any random or nameless press.  “We assigned experienced printers who usually handle university exams or question papers,” he said. “There are 28,901 voters, and we have printed exactly 28,901 ballots,” Dr Kamal added, claiming that there is no scope for any discrepancy. Voting is taking place in 17 centres across nine academic buildings, with a total of 990 booths. Prof Akand said, “We have already procured a sufficient number of watermark reader machines for vote counting. These machines will allow us to publish results within 15 to 17 hours.” He said all election activities are being monitored through CCTV cameras, and transparent ballot boxes are being used. A total of 212 teachers are overseeing the election, including 17 presiding officers and the rest serving as assistant presiding officers.  CUCSU voting underway peacefully amid allegations of irregularities Besides, 91 university officials are performing duties as polling officers. Chief Election Commissioner Prof Dr F Nazrul Islam, Chief Returning Officer Prof Dr Setaur Rahman, and other election commissioners were also present at the briefing. According to the commission, the total number of voters stands at 28,901, including 11,305 female students and 17,595 male students. This time, 247 candidates are contesting 23 posts in the central RUCSU election, while 58 candidates are vying for 5 seats in the university senate. For the hall union polls, 597 candidates are contesting 252 posts across 17 residential halls, with 42 candidates elected unopposed. In the central RUCSU race, 18 candidates are running for vice president (VP), 13 for general secretary (GS), and 16 for assistant general secretary (AGS). To ensure transparency, the university authorities have formed a 10-member committee to monitor the overall conduct of the election, headed by retired economics professor M Rafiqul Islam. For security, around 2,000 police personnel, along with six platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and 12 teams of Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), have been deployed, said Rajshahi Metropolitan Police Commissioner Mohammad Abu Sufian.

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.

Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) has remained dormant for around 31 years, despite demands by student organisations and ‘promises of election’ by the authorities concerned.