CU student union polls deferred by 3 days: Here’s what candidates say

The Chittagong University Central Students' Union (Cucsu) and hall union elections have been postponed by three days. The polls will now be held on 15 October, according to an announcement made by the Cucsu Election Commission at a press conference yesterday (23 September). 

All scheduled examinations at the university will remain suspended from 12–18 October.

The Business Standard spoke to candidates from different panels, including independent candidates, to get their reactions to the change.

Saied Bin Habib, general secretary candidate and literature and human rights secretary of the CU unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir, criticised the commission's planning,

"Durga Puja holidays and BCS exam dates weren't suddenly announced, they were known well in advance. The commission should have fixed 15 October from the start instead of 12 October. This raises questions, especially as the Raksub polls were also delayed. Many departments had already rescheduled exams for the election, and now they'll need to reschedule again, which could disrupt academics."

Sajjad Hossain Hridoy, vice-president candidate backed by the Chhatra Dal panel, welcomed the decision, "Students were concerned they'd be away for Puja holidays and face trouble with train tickets or buses when returning. Extending the date will help them. We thank the commission. But many students are worried their exams might be delayed too far. We urge authorities to try to hold exams close to the original schedule."

Mahfuzur Rahman, VP candidate from Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangshad (Bagchas), said, "We see this positively. But suspending exams for a whole week should be reconsidered; otherwise, many departments could face session jams."

Zashad Zakir, president of CU Chhatra Maitri and joint general secretary candidate from the 'Unity in Diversity' panel, also supported the move, "We had earlier requested the election be pushed back because of Puja, a major festival for over 2,000 students on campus. Many travel long distances home and struggle to return. On top of that, campaign time would've been too short. The commission shifted the polls by three days - not a week as we suggested - but we welcome this. Hopefully, participation will be higher now."

The Ahingsha Shikkharthi Oikya panel also backed the postponement but urged the university to reconsider the week-long exam suspension, "Delaying exams and classes for so many days will harm the academic calendar. We propose keeping classes and exams suspended only on election day itself, while allowing other academic activities to continue."

VP candidate Habibur Rahman said the new date was more student-friendly, but "Earlier, the election was set for Sunday right after the Friday-Saturday weekend, which didn't feel balanced. Students wanted more time, and now they have it. This is a positive, student-friendly decision."

Chief Election Commissioner Prof Monir Uddin said the polls were rescheduled solely in response to candidates' demands, "We were aware of the holidays and had prepared to hold the election on 12 October as planned. But during a meeting on 22 September, most candidates and students requested a short delay. That's the only reason we moved the election to 15 October. All preparations are in place."

According to the new schedule, the CU Central Students' Union and hall union elections will be held on Wednesday, 15 October, with 27,521 registered voters eligible to cast their ballots.