JUCSU polls marred by anomalies, boycotts
Staff Reporter :
The long-awaited Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (Jucsu) and hall union elections – held for the first time in more than three decades – concluded yesterday evening amid allegations of widespread irregularities, ballot stuffing, and administrative bias.
Voting which officially ended at 5 p.m. stretched into the evening in several halls.
Ballot boxes began reaching the JUCSU Election Commission office only after 5:30 p.m., and reports indicated that voting continued in some centres until nearly 6 p.m.
The tense atmosphere deepened as the Chhatra Dal-backed panel, followed by three members of the Nationalist Teachers’ Forum, announced their boycott of the polls, citing “massive irregularities.”
The elections, beginning at 9 a.m., had been touted as a milestone after a 33-year gap.
Authorities deployed heavy security, with police, Ansar, Rapid Action Battalion, Border Guard Bangladesh, and the army stationed across campus.
Yet, disputes over ballot counts, missing voter names, and allegations of partisan influence overshadowed the historic moment.
At an afternoon press conference, Chhatra Dal’s vice-president candidate
Sheikh Sadi Hasan declared a boycott, saying, “The administration is depriving us of our democratic rights. From ballot manipulation to biased oversight, this election cannot be accepted as fair.”
His panel had earlier raised objections to the use of optical mark recognition (OMR) machines, claiming the devices were supplied by a company tied to Jamaat-e-Islami.
By late afternoon, the Jucsu Election Commission announced that vote counting would instead be conducted manually.
The Shibir-backed Somonnito Shikkharthi Jote panel also lodged sharp complaints. Its VP candidate, Arifullah Adib, accused the administration of sending excess ballots to certain halls and of allowing former students to linger on campus despite a ban.
“These irregularities were visible from the start. We demanded transparency, but the authorities ignored us,” he told reporters.
Four more panels — Sampritir Oikya, Swatantra Angikar Parishad, Songshoptak Parishad, and candidates from the Socialist Student Front — have boycotted the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (Jucsu) election.
“We are deeply frustrated and angry. We are boycotting this election and demand an immediate fresh election under a new commission and a new schedule,” said Sharan Ahsan, general secretary candidate of Sampritir Oikya.
Amid the escalating disputes, Professors Nahrin Islam Khan, Nazrul Islam, and Shamima Sultana of the Nationalist Teachers’ Forum left their assigned polling centres and declared their boycott.
“The administration has acted irresponsibly, turning the election into a farce,” Professor Nahrin said. She alleged that many students’ names were missing from the voter rolls and that formal complaints had been dismissed.
Tensions peaked at Bangamata Begum Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall when voting was suspended around noon following reports of ballot manipulation.
The situation escalated further when Chhatra Dal supporters entered the female dormitory without authorisation, drawing protests from resident students and journalists. Polling resumed after an hour but left behind a cloud of distrust.
A similar disruption occurred at Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Hall, where a voters’ list without photographs led to confusion. Students alleged that more than 150 votes were cast without proper identification.
Voting resumed after a revised list with photos was supplied. Candidates also pointed to procedural lapses.
Dope test results for candidates – made mandatory by the administration – were not published, leaving questions about compliance. Several panels alleged that ink was not applied consistently on voters’ fingers, raising fears of multiple voting.
The election drew eight contesting panels, including those from Islami Chhatra Shibir, Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, and Bangladesh Gonotantrik Chhatra Sangsad.
The banned Chhatra League, student wing of the Awami League, did not participate. In total, 177 candidates contested 25 central Jucsu posts, while 445 competed for hall union positions.
Despite heavy campaigning, the day’s events cast a shadow over what many students had hoped would be a democratic revival on campus. “We waited 33 years for this election, and now doubts remain about whether our votes will count,” said Nurul Aziz, a history student.
With manual counting set to begin tonight, the campus remains tense, and questions about the credibility of the Jucsu polls linger.
Meanwhile, the Chhatra Shibir-backed “Somonnito Shikkharthi Jote” panel has raised several allegations of irregularities in the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (Jucsu) and hall union elections.
Speaking at a press conference, the panel’s vice-president (VP) candidate Arifullah Adib said, “We are already witnessing multiple irregularities in the elections.
The administration has made no proper preparations. Last night there was a meeting about polling agents’ presence at the centres.
But when we sent our polling agents this morning, officials in charge claimed they had no knowledge of it. These issues should have been resolved earlier.”
Following the Chhatra Dal panel boycott announcement, Shibir panel’s general secretary (GS) candidate Mazharul Islam called for unity among student groups.
“We want to practice the politics of coexistence and compassion. Whether others boycott the vote or return to it, we are with them. Our goal is to bridge differences,” he said.