Tension at Rucsu: Chhatra Dal, left-leaners boycott meeting claiming Jamaat bias
“They are setting the agenda of Jamaat-e-Islami and working to implement their agenda,” the university's JCD unit President Sultan Ahmed Rahi says
Rajshahi University Central Students' Union (Rucsu) election has been thrown into disarray as student groups, including Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the Gonotantrik Chhatra Jote, and Chhatra Adhikar Parishad, boycotted a meeting called by the election commission to resolve a campus-wide conflict that occurred today (31 August).
The meeting was convened at the university's Senate building following a day of extreme tension and scuffles between Chhatra Dal and other student organisations, including Islami Chhatra Shibir and the Students Against Discrimination (SAD).
Despite the boycott by some groups, the Rucsu election commission proceeded with the meeting.
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After the meeting, Election Commissioner Professor Mostafa Kamal Akand said, "The majority of the students in the meeting wanted the election on 25 September, and we will hold it on that date.
"However, a full commission will sit tonight to decide whether to include the new students in the voter list."
Meanwhile, explaining the boycott, the university's JCD unit President Sultan Ahmed Rahi stated, "We attended the meeting to have discussions. But we found that there was no democratic environment.
"They are setting the agenda of Jamaat-e-Islami and working to implement their agenda."
"This election commission also wants to conduct an election like the Rajshahi University Alumni Association administration. There is no possibility of a fair election under this commission."
He added that his group, along with the left-leaning alliances, have decided to boycott the meeting as he claimed that the election commission is biased towards Jamaat-e-Islami.
Echoing the sentiment, Fuad Ratul, leader of the Gonotantrik Chhatra Jote and convener of the University unit of the Socialist Students' Front, said, "We want to participate in the Rucsu elections on 25 September.
"But instead of taking action against the identified miscreants who attacked the democratic movement of our alliance, the university administration is trying to implement a unilateral policy by giving the perpetrators the opportunity to participate in the Rucsu elections," he said.
"The attackers of the democratic movement have morally lost the opportunity to participate in the elections," Fuad Ratul claimed.
The tension began this morning when JCD activists locked the office of the Rucsu treasurer, who is the chief returning officer in the upcoming student elections, demanding the inclusion of 5,000 first-year students in the voter list.
According to Rucsu Chief Returning Officer Professor Setaur Rahman, while the inclusion of the new students was possible, it would require a new election schedule.
He criticised Chhatra Dal for resorting to "mob violence" instead of democratic discussion.
The situation further escalated when SAD members and other students forcefully broke the lock on the treasurer's office to resume the nomination process, leading to a physical altercation.
