Shibir, Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad announce panels for Jucsu polls

With the Jahangirnagar University Central Students' Union (Jucsu) election set for 11 September — the first in 33 years — student organisations at the university began to ramp up preparations and announce their panels.

The university unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, announced its full 25-member panel today (21 August), the final day for submitting nomination papers.

The university unit of Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad also revealed its panel under the name, Student Unity Forum, but has not specified which candidates will contest which posts. BGCS's likely VP candidate is the organisation's convener, Arifuzzaman Ujjal, and the general secretary candidate is Towhid Md Siam.

Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad was launched in February this year at Dhaka University, with founding members mainly from the Students Against Discrimination (SAD) movement.

Other student organisations submitted nominations but have not announced their panels. 

The BNP-affiliated Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal has submitted papers but has yet to finalise its panel. 

Left-leaning student groups have also withheld panel announcements.

According to the election schedule, a draft list of candidates will be published on 25 August after verification of nomination papers. Appeals regarding the validity or rejection of nomination papers will be accepted on 26 August. Hearings will be held on 27 August from 9am to 2pm, with appeal decisions announced at 4pm. The deadline for withdrawal of nomination papers is 28 August at 4pm., and the final list of candidates will be published on 29 August at 4pm.

The Jucsu Election Commission reported that 299 students collected nomination forms while 273 candidates submitted nomination papers for 25 posts.

Shibir's panel

Chhatra Shibir announced its panel under the banner of the Coordinated Student Alliance in front of the university's old registrar building this afternoon.

At the event, Muhibur Rahman, president of the university branch of Shibir, said their panel includes students who played a role in the July mass uprising and have long worked to uphold students' rights at the university. 

"Our panel also features a student who was shot during the 2024 July movement, six female students, and a student with physical disabilities," he added.

In the Shibir-led panel, Ariful Islam Adib, a branch member, submitted his nomination for vice president (VP), while Majharul Islam, branch office secretary, filed for the general secretary position.

For the assistant general secretary (male) post, Firdous Al Hasan, a branch member, has submitted a nomination, and for assistant general secretary (female), Ayesha Siddika Meghla, a student of the Philosophy Department, has filed her nomination.

Additionally, Shafayet Mir, branch planning and development secretary, submitted for the environment and nature conservation secretary; Shafiuzzaman Shaheen, a branch member, for sports secretary; Mahadi Hasan, branch literature and sports secretary (male), and Lubna for literature and sports secretary (female); and Rashedul Islam Likhan, branch student welfare secretary, for IT and library secretary.

Speaking at a press conference at the Jucsu Election Commission office, member-secretary and Proctor AKM Rashidul Alam said that for the Hall Sangsad elections across the university's 21 residential halls, 514 candidates collected nomination forms, and 467 of them submitted their papers.

Army deployment decision draws mixed reaction

The university administration sent a letter to the Army chief last Tuesday, requesting army deployment on the election day and the following day. However, student organisations have expressed mixed reactions regarding the deployment.

Student leaders said army assistance could help ensure fairness, but the administration should first improve security preparations, which they say are currently inadequate.

The last Jucsu election was held in 1992, during which the army did not play any role, according to faculty members.

Professor Jamaluddin Runu of the Environmental Science Department, who contested for the senator post in that election, told reporters, "There was no question of army deployment at that time. Back then, students protested even over police entering the campus. There was no scope for the army at all."

Jucsu Election Commission member Professor Mafruhi Sattar said army assistance has been requested, but Ansar will primarily manage polling stations, with police and army serving as a strike force at select points, but that plan has not yet been finalised.