Dhaka, Oct. 11 -- More than three and a half decades on, as voting day for the Rajshahi University Central Students' Union (RUCSU), hall unions and Senate student representatives draws near, the campaign map is coming into focus, and many believe students living outside the halls will be the ultimate "deciders".

Their reasoning is blunt. With around 68 percent of students non-resident, they remain distant from the election atmosphere, and many may not turn up on polling day.

Candidates also say they struggle to reach this off-campus majority, a factor that could rewrite the electoral arithmetic.

A UNIVERSITY THAT OUTGREW ITS BEDS

Rajshahi University began its journey on Jul 6, 1953 with just 161 students, holding classes and administr...