After facing setbacks in the JUCSU and JUCSU polls, the Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad (BGCS), formed by some of the coordinators of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, has decided to withdraw from the Chittagong University Central Students’ Union (CUCSU) elections.
BGCS’s CU unit Member Secretary Al Mashnun confirmed that the organisation is not contesting the election directly, but individual candidates may still choose to run independently.
On September 14, central Member Secretary Zahid Ahsan had asked the then organiser Rashid Dinar to form a panel with BGCS members. However, Dinar refused to form a panel, leading to his expulsion from the central organisation.
Following this, on Tuesday, the leadership announced that BGCS would not be fielding any panel in the CUCSU election.
Although the organization has no panel, BGCS’s central Joint Member Secretary Rizaur Rahman is contesting independently for the Vice President (VP) position. At least five other leaders have also entered the race for various positions.
Among them, central joint convenor Mahfuzur Rahman is running for the VP post, and Senior Joint Member Secretary Ashraf Chowdhury is contesting for the Career Development and International Affairs Secretary positions.
The absence of a panel and the presence of multiple candidates for the same positions have sparked intense speculation about how BGCS’s votes will shift.
Without clear direction from the party, voters may be torn between independent candidates, who will rely on their personal popularity and campaigning efforts.
This division could result in a fragmented vote, potentially creating opportunities for other student organizations to gain an advantage.
Speaking to the Times of Bangladesh, Ashraf Chowdhury said, “I am contesting independently. I’ve been involved in various career-related activities for a long time, which is why I’ve chosen this position. Despite no panel, I hope there won’t be any divisions.”
Netizens have speculated that BGCS’s poor performance in the JUCSU election could be attributed to the infiltration of members from other groups, such as Chhatra Shibir, and the weakening of the organization’s structure. They also believe that, without a panel in CUCSU, Chhatra Shibir could gain additional votes.
The CUCSU elections, the first in 35 years, will take place on October 12, with a total of 27,637 eligible voters. The nomination process began on Sunday, and by Tuesday night, candidates had collected their nomination papers.
On Wednesday morning, Chhatra Dal requested an extension, and the Election Commission responded by extending the deadlines for both collecting and submitting nominations.
The Election Commission confirmed that nominations can be collected until Wednesday, with the submission deadline now extended to 5pm on Thursday.
The verification process will take place on September 18, and the provisional list of candidates will be published on September 21. The final list of candidates will be announced on September 25.
