The election commission has arranged a dedicated polling centre for 76 visually impaired voters for the upcoming Chittagong University Central Students’ Union (Cucsu) election following a formal request submitted by the students.
The decision was made during a meeting chaired by Cucsu Chief Election Commissioner Professor Dr AKM Ariful Haque Siddique, along with other members of the commission. The special centre will be set up on the second floor of the Cucsu building.
According to the Election Commission, two election commissioners will be present at the special polling centre to directly oversee the process and ensure that visually impaired voters can exercise their voting rights without any hindrance. Additionally, other designated election officials will assist in managing the process.
“This is a humane initiative aimed at ensuring every student’s right to vote and promoting an inclusive electoral process,” said Chief Election Commissioner Ariful Haque.
Earlier, on 14 September, visually impaired students raised four key demands to ensure that special arrangements are made for students with disabilities during the Cucsu election voting process.
Their demands included the use of the Braille system for the visually impaired voters, wheelchair accessibility, interpreters for hearing-impaired voters, and deployment of specially trained volunteers to support students with disabilities.
Earlier, on 25 August, students with disabilities at Chittagong University submitted a memorandum demanding reserved seats in both the central and hall student unions to ensure equal participation in all electoral and organisational activities.
The upcoming Cucsu election, scheduled for Wednesday, marks the first such election at Chittagong University since 1990, a gap of 35 years.
This year, the total number of registered voters stands at around 27,000, including approximately 11,500 female students.
