The newly elected committees of the Chittagong University Central Students’ Union (Cucsu) is set to take the oath of office on Thursday.
Professor AKM Ariful Haque Siddiqui, member secretary of the Cucsu Election Commission, confirmed that the swearing-in ceremony will be administered by Chittagong University (CU) Vice-Chancellor Dr Muhammad Yeahia Akhter.
The list of elected representatives to both Cucsu and the hall councils was officially published by the election commission on Tuesday afternoon.
This year’s elections, held on 15 October, were the first in 35 years. According to Cucsu Chief Election Commissioner Professor Dr Monir Uddin, 65% of the university’s 27,516 registered students cast their votes, a notable turnout for the remote hilltop campus on the outskirts of Chattogram city.
The elections marked a dramatic shift in CU campus politics as Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed panel ‘Shompreetir Shikkharthi Jote’ secured a sweeping victory, winning 24 out of 26 posts, including the top two positions of Vice President (VP) and General Secretary (GS). The outcome signals a return to Cucsu for Shibir after a 44-year absence.
Ibrahim Hossain Roni, a student of the 2017-18 session in the History department, was elected Vice President with 7,983 votes. Roni also serves as the president of Chattogram South Metropolitan Shibir and is a member of the organisation’s central executive council. He defeated Chhatra Dal candidate Sajjad Hossain Hridoy, who received 4,374 votes.
Saeed Bin Habib, from the 2019-20 session of the History department, was elected General Secretary. He currently holds the position of Literature and Human Rights Secretary in CU’s Shibir unit.
He secured 8,031 votes, defeating Chhatra Dal’s Shafayat Hossain, who managed 2,724 votes.
Despite their strong performance, Shibir failed to clinch the Assistant General Secretary (AGS) post. That seat went to Chhatra Dal’s Ayubur Rahman Taufiq, who won with 7,014 votes, defeating Shibir’s candidate Sajjad Hossain Munna, who received 5,045 votes.
In another significant outcome, Tamanna Mahfuz Smriti of the Binirman Shikkharthi Oikko panel secured the assistant sports and games secretary post, one of the few posts not taken by Shibir-backed candidates.
The resounding return of Islami Chhatra Shibir to Cucsu after more than four decades underscores a major shift in the political landscape of Chittagong University, reflecting evolving student priorities and ideological dynamics on campus.
