After 33yrs hiatus: JUCSU elections today

Staff Reporter :

After more than three decades, Jahangirnagar University is poised for a historic moment today as students head to the polls to elect representatives to the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU).

Voting, which begins at 9:00 a.m. and continues uninterrupted until 5:00 p.m., marks the first JUCSU election in 33 years. Elections will also be held for 21 individual hall unions on the same day.

According to the JUCSU Election Commission, 177 candidates are competing for 25 central posts, while the total electorate stands at 11,897 students. The revival of JUCSU is widely seen as a step toward restoring democratic practice on campus, long absent since the suspension of union elections in the early 1990s.

Campaigning officially ended at midnight on Tuesday. In the final hours, candidates fanned out across the campus – visiting faculties, residence halls, and gathering spots – in a last push to reach voters. “Winning or losing is not the issue; the fact that the JUCSU elections are finally being held is our greatest achievement,” said Abdur Rashid, vice-president candidate from the Independent Students’ Assembly panel.

Student groups across the political spectrum mounted vigorous campaigns. Among them were the Shikkharthi Oikya Forum, backed by Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad; the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal-supported panel; the Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed Somonnito Shikkharthi Jote; and left-leaning alliances such as the Sangsaptak Parishad, supported by Chhatra Union and Chhatra Front. Progressive student panels and independents also sought to make their mark.

“We have reached out to all students with our manifesto and campaign message. We hope the election will be held smoothly,” said Arif Ullah, vice-president candidate from the Shibir-backed panel.

To ensure order on election day, the administration has deployed extensive security measures. More than 1,200 police officers will be stationed around the campus, while Ansar members will serve directly at polling centers. In addition, about 80 closed-circuit cameras have been installed at polling stations. Balloting will take place in 224 booths spread across 21 centers, supervised by 21 returning officers along with 134 polling and assistant polling officials.

Voting will use Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) ballot papers, with different pages printed for JUCSU and hall union contests. “The campaign period concluded Tuesday midnight, and any further campaigning will be a violation of the code of conduct,” said Professor A.K.M. Rashidul Alam, member-secretary of the JUCSU Election Commission.

The contest began with 179 candidates, but two have since withdrawn. One, Amartya Roy, was disqualified for lacking regular student status. Another, Syeda Anannya Faria of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, initially ran as a “rebel” candidate for the general secretary post but later announced her withdrawal at a press conference.
For many on campus, the symbolism of today’s vote outweighs the competition. The return of JUCSU after three decades has raised hopes that the student body will once again serve as a platform for representing and defending students’ rights.