Jahangirnagar University goes to first Jucsu polls in 33 years Thursday

The long-awaited Jahangirnagar University Central Students' Union (Jucsu) election will be held tomorrow, ending a 33-year hiatus. 

Since the university's establishment, nine Jucsu elections have been held with the first in 1972 while the last one in 1992. 

In the 1992 polls, Masud Hasan Talukder and Shamsul Tabriz from a panel backed by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, BNP's student wing, were elected vice-president and general secretary respectively. 

In 1993, the administration dissolved the Jucsu and the hall union committees following a clash triggered by the expulsion of a student. No election has been held since.

This year, 177 candidates are contesting 25 positions in the Jucsu elections, while 445 are competing for seats in the hall unions. Nine are vying for vice-president and 8 for general secretary. 

On Tuesday, candidates spent their final day of campaigning busy with election activities. They said that although it was not possible to reach all voters, they hoped students would consider merit and vote for those capable of working in their interest.

Independent candidate Syeda Ananya Faria has withdrawn from the GS race, while Amartya Roy, VP candidate from the Shompritir Oikya panel, will not be able to run after a High Court order reinstating his candidacy was stayed by the Chamber Court.

8 panels in the race

A total of 8 panels are contesting, including that backed by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal and Islami Chhatra Shibir.

For the first time, the Bangladesh Gonotantrik Chhatra Sangsad (BGCS), formed after the July uprising in 2024, is taking part in the polls. 

Three leftist groups have floated separate panels, while two independent panels are contesting, and several candidates are running individually.

Another noticeable aspect is the participation of Shibir.

For the first time in around 35 years, Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, announced its JU committee in October last year.

After the killing of History department student Habibur Rahman Kabir allegedly by Shibir activists in 1989, all socio-cultural-political organisations at the university  reached a consensus not to allow activities of the student body and religion-based politics on the campus. 

224 booths; police and Ansar for security

The Jucsu Election Commission has announced 224 polling stations across university halls. 

Voters will cast ballots by ticking the paper, with one ballot box allocated for every 200 ballots. Separate boxes will be used for the central and hall students' union elections.

Sixty-seven teachers will oversee the polls as presiding officers and assistants. To maintain order, more than 1,000 police officers will be deployed at the 12 university entrances, while Ansar members will provide security inside polling stations.

No hall union polls in 2 female dormitories

In the hall union elections, Begum Sufia Kamal Hall and Nawab Faizunnesa Hall will not see voting, as all candidates there were elected unopposed. 

Only central union elections will be held in these halls.

In Begum Sufia Kamal Hall, 10 out of 15 positions were filled uncontested, with 5 left vacant due to no candidates. In Nawab Faizunnesa Hall, 6 positions were uncontested while 9 remain vacant. 

25 minority candidates to participate 

A total of 25 candidates from minority communities are running this time. 

The Unity of Harmony panel includes 7 indigenous, 5 Sanatan, 3 Buddhist, and 2 Christian candidates. 

The Student Unity Forum has 1 indigenous candidate, the Chhatra Dal-backed panel 1 Sanatan candidate, and each of 2 independent panels 1 Sanatan candidate. Four additional minority candidates are standing as independents.

Professor Mafruhi Sattar, a member of the Jucsu Election Commission, said they were working to ensure a transparent and participatory election. 

He urged students to exercise their voting rights and elect deserving candidates.

Shompritir Oikya press conference 

Shompritir Oikya has strongly protested the cancellation of his candidacy, describing the decision as part of a "broader pattern of irregularities and bias by the administration and election commission.

At a press conference held on the campus tonight, the panel alleged that the administration was deliberately attempting to exclude Amartya from the race despite a High Court ruling that had initially upheld his candidacy.

Panel representatives said the HC order was stayed following an appeal from the university authorities, a move they claim was based on "false statements" presented by the university's legal representatives.

Citing contradictions in official statements, GS candidate Shoron Ehsan noted that while the administration argued ballots had already been printed without Amartya's name, the chief election commissioner was quoted in a media report saying that ballots would be printed only on election day. 

"This proves the administration acted with the intent of keeping Amartya Roy out of the election," he said.

The panel also criticised the election commission's decision to make dope tests mandatory for all candidates, calling it discriminatory and harassment-driven.

They alleged that several candidates have yet to undergo the tests, but no action has been taken against them. Moreover, the commission has not published a clear policy on the issue, they added.