In a festive atmosphere, candidates for the Begum Rokeya University Central Students’ Union (BRUCSU) spent the entire day on Monday collecting nomination forms. However, by late afternoon, the Election Commission announced that the election had been suspended, citing serious irregularities in the voter list. The announcement left both students and candidates deeply frustrated.
The Commission made the decision public at a press briefing after 5pm, the closing time for collecting nomination forms. Students said the suspension has once again thrown the long-awaited BRUCSU election into uncertainty. Following prolonged protests, hunger strikes and demonstrations, 24 December had been announced as the election date. The deadline for collecting nomination forms was 1 December, with submissions scheduled for 2 and 3 December. Under the new rules, candidates must also submit a dope-test report with their forms.
Just as the nomination collection was nearing completion, the Commission held an urgent press conference. Election Commissioner Mohsina Ahsan declared the suspension, saying the voter list supplied by the university contained major errors, inconsistencies and incomplete information.
She said an updated and hall-wise voter list is essential for a free and fair election. The Commission alleged that despite formally requesting accurate data from the Registrar’s Office, the list provided included multiple serious discrepancies. Proceeding with the election under such conditions would compromise transparency and credibility.
Following the announcement, a group of agitated students attempted to lock the administrative building but were stopped by Chhatra Dal activists, leading to a heated exchange.
Vice-Chancellor Prof. Dr Showkat Ali acknowledged the inconsistencies but said they could have been corrected. He added that the Commission would now take steps to decide the next course of action.
