Rajshahi University’s long-awaited central student union (RUCSU) election is now at the center of fresh controversy after the Election Commission announced September 28 as the new polling date—coinciding directly with Mahashasthi, one of the most important days of Durga Puja, the largest religious festival for Hindus.
The announcement was made Wednesday (27 August) by Chief Election Commissioner Dr. F. Nazrul Islam in front of the RUCSU Treasurer’s office. Voting will now take place across academic buildings instead of dormitories, with results declared the same evening.
But the decision has sparked outrage among Hindu students and several campus-based organizations. They argue that setting the election on Mahashasthi effectively excludes a significant portion of the student body, violating both the spirit of democracy and basic principles of inclusivity.
“Durga Puja is the biggest festival for us. Holding the election on this date is completely unjustified,” said Soma Pal, a final-year law student. “Most of us leave for home by the day before Mahashasthi. Does the administration not want Hindu students to vote? This will never be a participatory election.”
Several student groups echoed these sentiments, pointing out that even a one-day adjustment would have allowed Hindu students to participate without conflict. Instead, they view the move as part of a wider pattern of negligence, where minority voices and traditions are disregarded in national and institutional decision-making.
Adding to tensions, the campus unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir called a protest against the revised schedule, though for different reasons—mainly objecting to the delay in polling.
Meanwhile, the revised election roadmap extends nomination distribution to August 31, with submission scheduled for September 1–4 and 7, scrutiny on September 8–9, preliminary list publication on September 11, objections on September 14, withdrawal on September 15, and final candidate lists on September 16.
The Chief Election Commissioner defended the decision, citing logistical reasons such as the transfer of polling centers to academic blocks, the need for dope testing, and ensuring “greater participation.” But for Hindu students, the timing feels like an unmistakable act of exclusion.
This controversy raises urgent questions: if the university cannot ensure space for religious minorities in its most important student election, how can RUCSU claim to represent all students?
