Will CUCSU get student voices ‘beyond political subservience’?

Tucked into Chittagong University’s emerald hills, the campus hums with a quiet, gathering tension as voting for the Central Students’ Union (CUCSU) nears. Across halls and tea stalls, students are sizing up their choices with unusual care, looking less for party loyalists than for advocates who will put student welfare first. This year’s election, the first in 35 years, has reignited hopes among general students that their representatives -- whoever they may be -- will rise above political allegiance and address everyday student issues. Although the university charter mandates annual elections for the central and hall unions, CU’s half-century history has seen only six such elections. The last one was held on Feb 8, 1990. Campaigning concluded on Monday, with...