Rucsu polls: Shibir leads in VP and AGS, Anti-Dominance Unity ahead in GS race
Anti-Dominance Unity panel’s Salahuddin Ammar ahead in race for the general secretary (GS) post
Voting in the Rajshahi University Central Students' Union (Rucsu) election was held yesterday (16 October), amid a festive atmosphere and with no major unpleasant incidents reported.
The vote counting is underway at the university's Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium. As of 1:25am today (17 October), the results of Khaleda Zia Hall, Rokeya Hall, Mannujan Hall and Tapashi Rabeya Hall have been announced.
Islami Chhatra Shibir–backed vice-president (VP) candidate Mostaqur Rahman Zahid and assistant general secretary (AGS) candidate SM Salman Sabbir are leading in all the four halls.
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12:40am
Khaleda Zia Hall
Shibir's Zahid secured 485 votes for the vice-president (VP) post, while Chhatra Dal's Abir got 137 votes.
For the general secretary (GS) position, Anti-Dominance Unity panel's Ammar led with 352 votes, defeating Shibir's Fahim, who bagged 295 votes.
In the race for assistant general secretary (AGS) post, Shibir's Salman Sabbir bagged 278 votes, while Chhatra Dal's Esha of Chhatra Dal secured 171 votes.
12:25am
Tapashi Rabeya Hall
Shibir's Zahid secured 473 votes for vice-president (VP) post, while Chhatra Dal's Abir bagged 136 votes.
For the general secretary (GS) position, Anti-Dominance Unity panel's Ammar obtained 408 votes, defeating Shibir's Fahim Reza, who secured 254 votes.
In the race for assistant general secretary (AGS) post, Shibir's Salman Sabbir led with 245 votes, while Chhatra Dal's Esha got 197 votes.
11:50pm
Rokeya Hall
Islami Chhatra Shibir–backed vice-president (VP) candidate Mostaqur Rahman Zahid and assistant general secretary (AGS) candidate SM Salman Sabbir took a lead in two halls.
As of 11:50pm, the results of Rokeya Hall and Mannujan Hall were announced.
In Rokeya Hall, Shibir's Mostaqur Rahman Zahid secured 752 votes for VP post, while Chhatra Dal's Sheikh Nur Uddin Abir got 211 votes.
For the general secretary (GS) post, Anti-Dominance Unity panel's Salahuddin Ammar garnered 661 votes, defeating Shibir's Fahim Reza, who obtained 377 votes.
In the race for assistant general secretary (AGS) post, Shibir's Salman Sabbir led with 346 votes, while Chhatra Dal's Jahin Biswas Esha bagged 299 votes.
10:55pm
Shibir's VP, AGS candidates lead in Mannujan Hall
Islami Chhatra Shibir–backed vice-president (VP) candidate Mostaqur Rahman Zahid took a clear lead, securing 972 votes in Mannujan Hall, while Chhatra Dal–backed candidate Sheikh Nur Uddin Abir secured 236 votes.
Chief Election Commissioner Professor F Nazrul Islam announced the Mannujan Hall results at 10:35pm.
In this hall, Salahuddin Ammar, the GS candidate from the Anti-Dominance Unity panel, secured 841 votes. His closest rival, Shibir's Fahim Reza bagged 495 votes.
For the assistant general secretary (AGS) post, Shibir's SM Salman Sabbir took the lead with 553 votes, while Chhatra Dal's Jahin Biswas Esha obtained 378 votes.
9:10pm
Vote counting begins
The counting of votes for the Rajshahi University Central Students' Union (Rucsu), hall union, and senate elections began 4.5 hours after the polling ended this afternoon (16 October).
Election Commissioner Professor Mustafa Kamal Akand said at vote counting started 8:30pm at the university's Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium.
He said counting in one hall is already nearing completion.
"However, due to internet issues, the live display of results on the big screen could not be shown. Authorities are working to resolve the problem as quickly as possible," he added.
An expert team is overseeing the vote counting process.
Earlier, ballot boxes were brought from all polling centres, and the seals were opened in the presence of polling officers and agents. Random ballots were drawn and sorted before the counting began using a high-speed OMR machine.
Meanwhile, a large number of students and candidates gathered outside the counting centre hoping to watch the process live, but internet issues prevented the live display.
7:50pm
Rucsu election was fair and participatory, says observation team
The Rajshahi University Central Students' Union (Rucsu) election was participatory and fair, said Professor Rafiqul Islam, president of the Rucsu polls observation team.
"We found the voting to be fair and peaceful, and no complaints of rigging were reported either to us or by the agents," he said at a press conference in the vice-chancellor's meeting room this evening (16 October).
He further said that the observation team visited every polling centre since the start of the election, spoke to voters, observed the turnout, and prepared a report for the university registrar.
"We spoke with election agents at each centre, and they expressed satisfaction with the process," he added.
7:05pm
The counting of votes in the Rucsu, hall union, and senate elections will begin at the Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium after a mock test of the counting process conducted in the presence of students, Chief Election Commissioner Professor F Nazrul Islam said this evening.
He added that the test will demonstrate to the students that everything is in order, after which the actual vote counting will commence.
6:45pm
Voter turnout 69.83%
The voter turnout in Rajshahi University Central Students' Union (Rucsu) election was 69.83%, according to the Election Commission.
Out of 28,909 registered voters, a total of 20,187 cast their ballots. Begum Rokeya Hall recorded the lowest turnout at 59.60%, while Syed Amir Ali Hall saw the highest participation, with 77.78% of voters casting their votes.
6:30pm
Voting halted briefly at Zia Hall, not for an hour: Presiding officer
Addressing Chhatra Dal's allegation of rigging while suspending voting in some centres for an hour, Professor Mahbubar Rahman, presiding officer of Zia Hall polling centre, said, "Voting was suspended for about 20–25 minutes around 2pm, not for an hour as claimed. As a result, polling continued for about 20 minutes beyond the scheduled time."
He explained that to speed up the balloting process, one polling officer had pre-signed some ballot papers.
"A polling agent of a candidate raised an objection to this, prompting a brief suspension of voting. Because of that, we continued polling for a short while after 4pm," he added.
Earlier, Sheikh Nur Uddin Abir, vice-president candidate of the Chhatra Dal-backed panel, alleged at a press conference that a polling officer at Ziaur Rahman Hall centre had pre-signed 100 ballot papers, which led to a one-hour suspension of voting.
He claimed that during this period, fake votes may have been cast.
He added that the authorities could not prove that no fraudulent votes were cast.
6pm
Shibir panel alleges outsiders entering RU campus, spreading rumours online
The Shibir-backed "Sammilita Shikkharthi Jote" has alleged that outsiders have entered the Rajshahi University (RU) campus and are spreading false information on social media.
Fahim Reza, the alliance's general secretary candidate, made the claim at a press conference held in front of the central library around 2pm.
Rucsu polls survey: Shibir panel leads in all 3 posts; Chhatra Dal rejects findings, calls it biased
"Since morning, we have noticed that our students were not allowed to enter Siraji Bhaban with slips. Later, students from Deans Complex, Rabindra Bhaban, and Jagadish Chandra Bose Bhaban were also prevented from entering despite having slips. Yet, the Election Commission had announced that students could access centers by showing slips," Reza said.
He further alleged that Chhatra Dal and the Anti-Dominance Unity Panel were violating election rules by distributing slips to influence voters, an issue he claimed had already been reported in several media outlets.
Reza added that Chhatra Dal had set up unauthorised booths at Khaleda Zia Hall, Habibur Rahman Hall, and nearby areas, undermining the level playing field of the polls. He also alleged that outsiders from Chhatra Dal, Jubo Dal, and BNP had entered the campus, while false information was being circulated online.
"An organising secretary of Chhatra Dal, who is not a student of the university, is sitting on campus and spreading these rumours," Reza said.
Other leaders of the Shibir-backed panel were present at the briefing.
5:30pm
Video of 'bomb blast' during Rucsu polls AI-generated, says RMP
A video circulating on social media showing a bomb blast during the Rajshahi University Central Students' Union (Rucsu) election has been found to be AI-generated and fake, according to the Rajshahi Metropolitan Police (RMP).
The video, which appeared to show an explosion during an interview with a media person, was detected by the RMP Cyber Crime Unit while monitoring online activity. After verification and fact-checking, the unit confirmed that the footage was entirely created using artificial intelligence, the RMP said in a statement today.
According to RMP, certain quarters were deliberately spreading the fake video to create confusion and panic among the public.
The police urged social media users to refrain from sharing or engaging with rumor-based or misleading content, warning that posting, sharing, liking, or commenting on such false materials constitutes a criminal offense.
Strict legal action will be taken against those involved, said the statement.
5pm
Voter turnout estimated to be around 72%
Preliminary estimates suggest that around 72% of registered voters cast their ballots, Election Commissioner Mustafa Kamal said.
The commissioner said ballot boxes were sealed in the presence of polling agents and transported to the Kazi Nazrul Islam Auditorium, where counting was set to begin.
3:30pm
Chhatra Dal alleges rigging, intimidation by Shibir
Earlier in the afternoon, Chhatra Dal's vice-president (VP) candidate Sheikh Nur Uddin Abir alleged that Islami Chhatra Shibir activists had intimidated general students by visiting halls at night.
Speaking at a press conference around 3:30pm, he claimed that several Shibir members, including a former president of the student wing, had entered the campus posing as journalists with fake press cards.
Abir further alleged that voting was halted for about an hour in some centres, including Shahidullah Arts Building, during which rigging occurred.
"There was a long queue outside at that time. Why was the voting stopped? The authorities must answer," he said.
He also accused Shibir of distributing food at Habibur Rahman Hall on election day to mobilise supporters.
"They know they can't manipulate results like other places, so they are resorting to these tactics. But the students of Rajshahi University will respond to Shibir's misdeeds through their votes," Abir added.
Earlier, voting began at 9am in 17 centres across 9 academic buildings, with a total of 990 polling booths set up for voters.
Before 9am, long queues of enthusiastic voters were seen waiting outside polling centres. Students appeared in a festive mood, excited to cast their votes in this long-awaited election.
Rucsu polls: BNP, Jamaat supporters gather near Rajshahi University in festive mood
A large number of security personnel have been deployed across the campus, including at every entry point and polling centre, to ensure peaceful voting. Every voter is being thoroughly checked before entering the polling centres.
A total of 39,775 students are registered as voters in this election. Some 247 candidates of different panels are contesting for 23 Rucsu posts.
