RUCSU: Campaigns through songs-slogans before, now by Facebook-mobile phones

‘Munna korbe joy, Babu korbe joy, amra korbo joy ekdin…’ in the afternoons of March 1989, female activists from the majority faction of the Chhatra Sangram Parishad used to sing this adapted version of the popular song ‘We shall overcome’ while campaigning across the Rajshahi University campus.

That year, the council’s vice-president (VP) candidate was Ragib Ahsan Munna from Bangladesh Chhatra Moitri, and the general secretary (GS) candidate was Ruhul Quddus Babu from the Bangladesh Chhatra League. The adapted version of the song created quite a stir among student voters.

Some 35 years later, the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union (RUCSU) election is being held again. The most striking difference between the election of that era and the one today is that mobile phones did not exist back then.

Campaigning largely relied on songs, slogans and rallies. There were no television cameras covering the events either.

According to newspaper archives and interviews with former student leaders and participants, voting for the 1989 election took place on 25 March, 10 years after the previous election in 1980. That was the 13th RUCSU election and it was marked by spontaneous participation.

The following election, held in 1990, was the last one until now. Initially scheduled for 25 June, it was postponed and held on 29 July. Candidates from the same four panels as before contested again.

These were, the major faction of the Chhatra Sangram Parishad (Munna–Babu panel), comprising Bangladesh Chhatra Moitri, Chhatra League (Mu-Na), Chhatra Union, Chhatra Oikko Samiti, Chhatra League (A-Mo) and Bangladesh Chhatra Federation.

In other part, the Shah Alam–Raihan panel from Chhatra League (Su-R); the Rizvi–Murad panel from Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD); the Latif–Rafiq panel from Islami Chhatra Shibir.

The VP and GS candidates remained the same and each panel used familiar campaign songs from the previous election to attract voters once again.

At that time, RUCSU had 18 posts. In 1989, 172 candidates contested for these positions. This year, there are 10 panels and 247 candidates contesting for 23 posts.

The number of voters has increased by 11,026 over 35 years and on Thursday, 28,901 students will cast their votes.

In earlier times, the election season often coincided with the re-enrolment of former students, a practice that some had demanded to revive this year, though it ultimately did not happen.

In 1980, Chhatra League leader Ali Raihan contested in the Hall Union election from Shahid Habibur Rahman Hall. A decade later, he reappeared as the GS candidate for the Shah Alam–Raihan panel (Chhatra League, Su-R).

Similarly, former university athlete Shah Alam was re-admitted to contest as VP from the same panel. In subsequent elections, Rabiul Alam Budu and Shariful Islam also stood as candidates after being re-admitted.

This time, candidates for the post of cultural affairs secretary are campaigning through songs and performances, recording them on mobile phones and circulating them on social media.

They are also seeking votes via text messages. Television journalists interviewing candidates are often recorded by others on mobile phones and these clips are being uploaded to Facebook.

Such technology did not exist back then. Previously, stages were built in front of residential halls for election rallies, which also featured cultural performances.

In both the 1989 and 1990 elections, the song ‘Amra Korbo Joy’ (original Bengali rendition of the English song - We shall overcome) remained immensely popular. However, Islami Chhatra Shibir also had a campaign song that gained traction.

Referring to the opposition’s united front, they sang mockingly, ‘Latif bhaier bhoye re, Rafiq bhaier bhoye re, joratali dilo re’ (In afraid of Latif, in afraid of Rafiq, they’ve joined forces.)

In both elections, Shibir’s VP and GS candidates were Latif and Rafiq.

The joint panel of Bangladesh Chhatra League and Jatiya Chhatra League in 1989 used the slogan ‘Shah Alam-Raihan-Shariful, RUCSUr tin ful’ (Shah Alam-Raihan-Shariful, RUCSU’s three flowers.)

The Moitri-Jasad Chhatra League-Chhatra Union alliance used ‘Munna-Babu-Alamgir, RUCSUr tin bir’ (Munna-Babu-Alamgir, RUCSU’s three heroes). In 1990, Chhatra Dal’s slogan was ‘Rizvi-Harun-Bahar, RUCSUr somahar’ (Rizvi-Harun-Bahar, RUCSU’s gathering.)

In the final election, Bangladesh Chhatra League contested alone, with Rabiul Alam Budu as VP, Shariful Islam as GS and Abdul Hannan as AGS candidates. Their slogan was ‘Budu-Sharif-Hannan, RUCSUr tinti nam’ (Budu-Sharif-Hannan, RUCSU’s three names.)

Media coverage at the time was limited. There were no online updates or real-time news feeds. On the day of the 1989 RUCSU election, The Daily Sangbad published a one-column headline on the front page: “RUCSU Election Today.”

The following day, the results appeared in a small two-column section with photos of the elected VP and GS. In 1990, Sangbad again featured a two-column headline: “RUCSU Election Today.”

The next day, The Daily Ittefaq reported in two columns on the front page: “Election completed peacefully.”

Reports noted that 25 platoons of riot police were deployed for security during the earlier elections. This time, around 2,000 police personnel, along with 18 platoons of BGB and RAB, will be on duty.

Three major elements that remain absent from the elections of the past were RAB, mobile phones and television cameras, are now integral to the process.