The Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (Jucsu) and hall union elections are taking place today after a 33-year hiatus, capturing widespread attention on campus and in political circles, particularly following the Shibir-backed panel’s clean sweep in the Ducsu polls the day before.
Student wings of various political parties are taking the election seriously, especially the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), the student wing of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which suffered a humiliating defeat at Dhaka University.
The JCD-backed panel failed to secure a single post out of 28 at Ducsu, triggering concerns within the party over its crushing loss.
On the other hand, today’s election presents an opportunity for the Islami Chhatra Shibir, the student wing of Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami, to make inroads on a campus with a long history of anti-Shibir sentiment.
In 1989, 22 student bodies collectively declared Shibir “banned” on the JU campus after the murder of a JCD activist allegedly by Shibir cadres during a clash.
While the ban was never officially enforced by the university authorities, Shibir’s presence on campus was effectively restricted due to a broad consensus among political and cultural organisations.
177 candidates for 25 posts
This year, 177 candidates are contesting 25 positions in the Jucsu elections, while 445 are competing for seats in the hall unions. Nine candidates are vying for the vice-president (VP) post, and eight for general secretary (GS).
Voting will begin at 9:00 am and continue until 5:00 pm without any breaks, involving 11,919 voters, 48.8% of whom are female students.
Under the JCD-backed panel, Sheikh Sadi Hasan and Tanjila Hossain Boishakhi will contest for the VP and GS posts, respectively.
Arifullah Adib and Mazharul Islam will vie for the VP and GS posts, respectively, under the Samannita Shikhharti Jote panel, backed by Islami Chhatra Shibir.
The Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad, under the banner of the Shikhharti Oikya Panel, has nominated Arifuzzaman Ujjal and Abu Touheed Mohammad Siam for the two vital posts.
At the last moment, independent candidate Syeda Ananya Faria withdrew from the GS race.
On the other hand, despite regaining candidacy through a High Court order, the Chamber Court’s stay on the ruling has prevented Amartya Ray, the VP candidate from the Sampriti Oikko Panel, from participating in the election.
Since its establishment, the university has held 9 Jucsu elections. The first election took place in 1972, and the most recent was in 1992. In the 1992 elections, Masud Hasan Talukder and Shamsul Tabriz, from a panel supported by the JCD, were elected vice-president and general secretary, respectively.
In 1993, the administration dissolved both Jucsu and the hall parliament following a clash triggered by the expulsion of a student. No elections have been held since then.
Candidates seek students’ mandate
The candidates expressed that students would choose their representatives based on ideals, qualifications, ethics, and student-friendly actions.
JCD-backed VP candidate Sadi said that the response from the students has been very optimistic.
“The voters have shown positive signs after hearing our manifesto. We hope that the election will be held in a festive and peaceful manner,” he said.
Shibir-backed GS candidate Mazharul Islam said, “I expect students will choose candidates who are competent, honest, and will work for the betterment of the university.”
There will be 224 polling booths across different halls, with police and Ansar personnel deployed for security.
According to the Election Commission, voters will mark their ballots with a tick on the ballot paper.
To ensure the smooth conduct of the election, 67 polling agents and 67 assistant officers, all university teachers, will be present at the centres.
Over 1,000 police officers will be deployed at the university’s 12 gates, while Ansar forces will be stationed at the polling centres for security.
No hall unit elections will be held in Begum Sufia Kamal Hall and Nawab Foyzunnessa Hall as all candidates won unopposed.
Only the central council election will be held in these two halls.
At Begum Sufia Kamal Hall, 10 out of 15 positions were won unopposed. Five posts of the hall remained vacant.
Six out of 15 positions were won unopposed at Nawab Foyzunnessa Hall, with 9 remaining vacant.
A mandatory doping test was conducted for central and hall council candidates at the university’s medical centre from 9:00am to 7:30pm on Tuesday.
A total of 163 candidates from the central council and 403 candidates from the hall council provided samples. Despite the requirement, 56 candidates did not provide their samples.
