Jucsu election: Only 24 out of 150 positions to be contested in female dormitory parliaments

In the Jahangirnagar University Central Students' Union (Jucsu) elections, only 24 out of 150 positions across 10 female dormitory parliaments will be contested, revealing a significant lack of interest among female students in the elections.

In the 10 female halls, a total of 60 positions remain vacant due to a shortage of candidates, while 66 candidates are poised to be elected unopposed. Besides, no elections will take place in Begum Sufia Kamal Hall and Nawab Faizunnesa Hall, according to an analysis of the final candidate list published on Jahangirnagar University's website.

The analysis shows that quorum requirements are not being met in Women's Hall-13, and candidates for the vice president (VP) position are set to win uncontested in five female halls.

As per the hall parliament constitution's Clause 9(b), the quorum for the executive committee requires seven members. However, no quorum is required for an adjourned meeting.

In Jahanara Imam Hall, multiple candidates are contesting for the positions of VP, general secretary (GS), and assistant general secretary (AGS), but four positions remain vacant, and eight positions have only one candidate each.

In Women's Hall-15, the VP position will not have an election as it is uncontested. However, elections will take place for the GS, AGS, and social service secretary positions. Since there is only one candidate for seven positions each, including the VP, no election will be held for those. Additionally, five positions in the hall are left remain vacant.

In Begum Khaleda Zia Hall, multiple candidates will contest for the VP and GS positions, but the remaining seven positions are unfilled, and six positions have only one candidate each.

In Hall-13, 12 positions remain vacant, leading to the failure of fulfilling quorum requirements. While elections will be held for the VP and GS positions, since there is only one candidate for the AGS position, no vote will be necessary for that role.

In Fazilatunnesa Hall, elections will be held for the positions of GS, AGS, and literary secretary. However, since there is only one candidate for nine positions each, including the VP, no voting will be required for those posts.

In Nawab Faizunnesa Hall, quorum is not being met due to nine vacant positions. Since there is only one candidate for six positions each, no elections will be necessary for those.

In Preetilata Hall, elections will be held only for the GS position. In the hall, three positions remain vacant, while candidates for 11 positions are set to be elected uncontested.

In Rokeya Hall and Bir Protik Taraman Bibi Hall, elections will be held for five positions in each of the two halls, including the VP and GS positions. However, both halls have six vacant positions each, and in each hall, one candidate is running for four other positions.

In Begum Sufia Kamal Hall, no elections will be held as there is only one candidate for each of the 10 positions, and five positions remain vacant.

Regarding the female students' reluctance to participate in elections, Prof Md Golam Mostafa, the provost of Nawab Faizunnesa Hall, told The Business Standard that they motivated the general students a lot during the nomination form sales. "However, due to aversion to party politics and other reasons, they did not become adequately interested."

He emphasised the long-standing tradition of the university's first female hall but expressed disappointment over the lack of enthusiasm, despite multiple efforts to encourage student involvement.

Hall-13 Provost Prof Muhammad Tareq Chowdhury pointed out that he has been a voter in the last three Jucsu elections. Reflecting on the shift in student engagement over the years, he said, "I'm not seeing the same excitement as we saw 33 years ago. The political environment of the past 15 years may have led to students losing interest in politics."

However, he remains hopeful that continued elections will reignite student interest over time. "If such elections continue, I believe students' interest in them will grow," he added.

Regarding the failure to meet the quorum in Hall-13, the provost explained that seven members are needed to fulfill quorum requirements. "But, this has not happened in Hall-13. As a result, we may have to consider amending our constitution to address this issue," he noted.