Chhatra Dal Attacks RAKSU Office, Locks the Gate

Leaders and activists of Chhatra Dal, the student wing of BNP, staged a protest at the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RAKSU) Election Commission Office, demanding the inclusion of first-year students in the voter list. During the protest, they locked the RAKSU office gate.

The demonstration began on Sunday, 31 August, from 9:30 am at the office of the RAKSU Treasurer.

During the protest, activists damaged chairs and tables inside the office and hung a padlock on the main gate, effectively blocking the office. As a result, the RAKSU Election Commission could not distribute the nomination forms on the last day of the schedule.

The protesters raised slogans such as:

• “We have paid RAKSU fees, we want to be voters”
• “If we have to fight, we will fight, we will claim our voting rights”
• “First-year voting rights must be given”

According to eyewitnesses and Chhatra Dal sources, the organisation has been demanding the inclusion of first-year students in the voter list for several days. On the final day for nomination form distribution, the activists started their demonstration at 9:00 am, blocking the offices of the Chief Returning Officer and the Treasurer, and staged a sit-in. During the sit-in, several office chairs and tables were broken.

Sardar Zahurul Islam, General Secretary of Chhatra Dal (branch), told reporters: “We have long demanded that first-year students be included in the voter list, but our demand has been ignored. Although they have paid the RAKSU fees, they cannot become voters. We will continue the programme until this discrimination is removed.”

Supporting the movement, Professor Jahangir Hossain, General Secretary of UTAB RU Branch and Head of the Folklore Department, stated: “First-year leaders have not been included in the voter list. Chhatra Dal is demonstrating to claim this right, and we support their demand.”

Key Event Details

The protest coincided with the final day of nomination form distribution for the RAKSU election, scheduled for 25 September. The demonstration highlights ongoing demands for fair representation of first-year students in university elections.