Cucsu polls after 35 years: Over 27,000 students to elect representatives on Oct 15

After a long wait of 35 years, the much-anticipated Chittagong University Central Students' Union (Cucsu) and hall union elections are set to be held on October 15.

From 9:00am to 4:00pm, students will cast their votes simultaneously around 700 booths across 15 centres in five faculty buildings.

With just 11 days left for the polling, the campus has already taken on a festive mood. After decades without a student union, both students and the university administration are preparing for a smooth and transparent electoral process.

Record number of candidates

According to the election commission, voting will take place for 40 posts -- 26 in the central union and 14 in the hall unions. For the central posts alone, 415 candidates are in the race, while another 493 candidates are contesting the hall-level positions.

Given the large number of candidates, each voter will receive five to six ballot papers, and students will have up to 10 minutes to cast their votes.

The total number of voters stands at 27,518, all of whom will vote with printed ballots for both central and hall union posts.

Preparations and security measures

To accommodate voters, 15 polling centres are being set up inside the five faculty buildings, each named after one of the university's 14 residential halls and one hostel. Depending on the size of the rooms, each building will house 60 to 65 polling booths.

To ensure transparency and security, CCTV cameras will be installed across the centres, except inside the voting rooms. Large LED screens will be placed in front of each centre to display live updates of the polling process. The commission will also have the option to livestream CCTV footage if required.

Transparency measures

Following the model of the Dhaka University Central Students' Union (Ducsu) election, each ballot paper will have its own separate ballot box. Some boxes will be transparent, while others will be slightly opaque to balance transparency with confidentiality.

The printing of ballot papers will be carried out under strict confidentiality and in the presence of election commission officials.

Administrative responsibilities

Each faculty dean will serve as a returning officer, while department heads will act as presiding officers. The voter list will include students' photographs to prevent any attempt at fake voting.

Prof AKM Ariful Haque, member secretary of the Cucsu election committee, said, "We have initially decided to set up polling centres in five faculty buildings. Ballot boxes will be arranged in proportion to the number of ballot papers. A final decision will be announced on Monday after consulting with candidates and voters."

Chief Election Commissioner Prof Dr Monir Uddin added, "We want this long-awaited election to be completely free from controversy. Every step -- from ballot printing to booth management -- will be carried out under direct supervision of the commission."

Students' expectations

Students expressed hope that the long-overdue election will restore their voice in the university's decision-making process.

They believe that once elected, Cucsu representatives will play a crucial role in addressing long-standing issues such as the accommodation crisis, transport shortages, food quality, and session jams -- problems that have affected campus life for years.

Gias Uddin, a student of the Communication and Journalism department, said, "The upcoming Cucsu election after 35 long years is truly a historic moment for us. We hope this election will pave the way to fulfil students' demands and basic rights. I also expect the elected representatives to take effective steps in solving long-standing issues such as the accommodation crisis, transport problems, and improving the university's medical services."