Nearly 10 months after five student representatives were elected to Rajshahi University’s Senate, they have not been sworn in and no Senate session has been held. The representatives were elected in the Rajshahi University Central Students’ Union, or RAKSU, and Senate student representative election on October 18, 2025, ending a 35-year gap in such student representation. Their inability to formally assume office has raised questions about student representation and the effectiveness of the university’s top policymaking forum.

The university’s last Senate session was held on May 19, 2016, according to university information and reports cited in the article. The five elected representatives are Salahuddin Ammar, Mostakur Rahman Jahid, Fahim Reza, Akil Bin Taleb and Salman Sabbir. Senate member Salman Sabbir alleged that successive administrations had avoided the issue despite repeated discussions, while Jahid said the administration had not given importance to arranging a Senate session.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Faridul Islam said the university was considering activation of the Senate and hoped to arrange a session soon after resolving technical problems. He said the administration was pressing to ensure that the elected members could attend at least one Senate session during their term.