JUSCU election: Abdur Rashid Jitu elected VP, Mazharul GS

The Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) elections are set to begin shortly, being held today after a gap of 33 years.

Voting will take place from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm on Thursday across the university’s 21 residential halls.

Returning officers and other election officials were seen preparing at the polling centres inside the halls, while law enforcement personnel took charge of security duties by 8:00 am.

Security has been beefed up at the university gates.

Around 8:15 am, a banner reading “Entry of outsiders prohibited” was hung at the Gerua Gate, located at the rear side of the campus.

Police personnel have been deployed at various points on the campus.

Dhaka District Superintendent of Police Anisuzzaman said there was no security risk so far.

“Compared to other gates, there is a greater likelihood of outsiders attempting to enter the campus through the Gerua Gate. That is why we have deployed more law enforcement personnel there,” he added.

Polling in the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) elections began shortly after 9:00 am today, Thursday.

In the presence of journalists and candidates, empty ballot boxes were displayed before voting commenced. Polling will continue until 5:00 pm across the university’s 21 residential halls.

Returning officers and other election officials completed their preparations in advance at the polling centres inside the halls.

Security duties are being carried out by law enforcement agencies.

Voting at Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall in the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) elections began 16 minutes after the official time to start balloting.

Voting began there around 9:16 am. Until 9:45 am, only 12 votes were cast at the centre in 45 minutes of starting the balloting.

Total voters are: 11,743

Female student voters: 5,728

Male student voters: 6,015

177 candidates have been contesting for 25 posts

Number of competing candidates against posts

Vice-President (VP): 9 candidates

General Secretary (GS): 8 candidates

Joint General Secretary (female): 6 candidates

Joint General Secretary (male): 10 candidates

Four complete panels:

Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal-backed panel

Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed panel Somonnito Shikkharthi Jote

Progressive students’ panel Sompritir Oikya

Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad-backed panel Shikkharthi Oikya Forum

Apart from the four panels, there are three other partial panels:

Swatantro Shikkharthi Sommilon

Swatantro Ongikar Parishad

Chhatra Union and Chhatra Front-backed panel Shongshoptak Porshod

An error has been identified on the ballot papers in the Jahangirnagar University’s Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall students’ union election.

While voters are supposed to cast votes for three candidates in the executive member category, the ballot instructions directed them to mark only one name.

Speaking about this, polling officer of Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall, Ujjal Kumar Mondol, told Prothom Alo, “The matter has come to our attention. The Election Commission has also been informed about this.”

He further said they have instructed the students to mark three candidates in the executive member category.

Voting at the Fazilatunnesa Hall centre in the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) and hall union elections began late on Thursday morning.

Students reported that polling started 45 minutes behind the official schedule.

Returning Officer Abu Saif, however, stated that the delay was 25 minutes, citing procedural preparations as the reason.

Journalists also complained that they were initially barred from entering Fazilatunnesa Hall.

Returning Officer Abu Saif relayed through security staff that male journalists would require the proctor’s authorisation to access the centre.

When contacted, the university’s Proctor and Election Commission Member Secretary, AKM Rashidul Alam, told Prothom Alo that the hall authorities would decide on the matter.

He advised the newspersons to talk with them. Later, the Fazilatunnesa Hall provost Nazrul Islam clarified over phone that there was no restriction on journalists’ entry.

Voting across Jahangirnagar University’s 21 residential halls was scheduled to run from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm today.

Allegations have been raised that the officials at the Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall polling centre were not marking the voters’ fingers with indelible ink after casting their votes in the JUCSU and hall union elections.

Al Amin, a candidate for the post of Assistant General Secretary (AGS), told Prothom Alo, “Voters at our hall are not having their fingers marked with ink after voting. They are only being asked to sign before receiving ballot papers.”

Speaking about this, polling officer of Nazrul Hall, Uzzal Kumar Mondol, said that the central election office had not supplied any markers to them.

It was found that, unlike the DUCSU election system, there was no arrangement for marking voters’ fingers at this centre.

Officials added that CCTV surveillance was being used to monitor the voting process.

However, at Hall No. 21 (formerly Sheikh Russel Hall), voters were being marked with ink on their fingers after casting ballots.

This hall has 735 registered voters. By 10:45 am, 92 votes had been cast here.

The centre’s Returning Officer Mosabber Hossain stated that although there was no central directive to use markers, they were applying them in response to student requests.

When contacted, the university’s Proctor and JUCSU Election Commission Member Secretary, Professor AKM Rashidul Alam, said, “Instructions have been given for all halls to mark voters’ fingers with indelible ink after voting. Each centre was supposed to be provided with two pens for this. This procedure should be followed at all halls.”

He further said he would inquire into why it has not been done in that hall.

Voting in the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) and hall union elections began around 9:00 am on Thursday.

Reports from several halls indicate a relatively slow start in the morning. The officials, however, said turnout was gradually increasing.

At Hall No. 10, only seven votes were cast in the first 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Hall provost Rezaul Rakib said many students were waiting in queues and voter presence was steadily picking up.

At AFM Kamaluddin Hall, 29 ballots were cast in the first hour. The hall has a total of 333 registered voters, according to Returning Officer Shiblee Noman.

At Shaheed Salam-Barkat Hall, which has 299 voters in total, 20 votes were cast in the first hour, Returning Officer SMA Moudud Ahmed confirmed.

At Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Hall, 120 votes had been cast by 10:45 am out of a total of 947 registered voters, according to Returning Officer Alamgir Kabir.

Meanwhile, at Hall No. 15 (female students’ hall), 100 ballots were cast within the first one and a half hours. The hall has 571 voters in total, said Provost Shamima Nasrin Jolly.

Around 10:45 am on Thursday, nearly two hours after polling began for the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) and hall union elections, rain started pouring down.

Shortly afterwards, power outages hit several residential halls, and by 11:15 am electricity had not yet been restored.

Students said that there was no electricity at polling centres in a number of residential halls, including Hall No. 10, Maulana Bhashani Hall, Shaheed Rafiq-Jabbar Hall, Fazilatunnesa Hall, AFM Kamaluddin Hall, Pritilata Hall, and Bir Pratik Taraman Bibi Hall.

Generators were switched on at Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Hall, Sheikh Russel Hall and several other residential halls to ensure voting could continue uninterrupted.

Marzuka Mahi, a student of Fazilatunnesa Hall, said, “In our hall, voting is taking place on the underground floor. It became very dark there when the power went out.”

Hall No. 10 provost Rezaul Rakib stated, “We arranged alternative lighting with charger lamps so that balloting could proceed.”

Iftekhar Hossain Nafin, a 20-year-old student of the 53rd batch of Jahangirnagar University (JU) walked out of the Shaheed Salam-Barkat Hall polling centre after casting his vote there.

Iftekhar said this is the first time he cast a vote in his life. 

Iftekhar cast his vote in the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) and Hall Union elections around 11:15 am today, Thursday.

He is a first-year undergraduate student at the Department of History. 

Delighted after the experience, Iftekhar said, “For the very first time, I have voted in an election. Through voting, I was able to express my opinion.”

Vice-President (VP) candidate from the Chhatra Dal-backed panel in the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) and hall union elections, Sheikh Sadi Hasan has accused the Election Commission of bias.

He also alleged that a “blueprint” has been prepared to secure victory for Islami Chhatra Shibir.

Speaking at an emergency press conference at Maulana Bhashani Hall around 1:00 pm on Thursday, four hours after voting began, Sadi Hasan said the Chhatra Dal-backed panel had been encouraged by the overwhelming support of general students and was optimistic of winning in the JUCSU election.

In a written statement, he alleged, “On the night before voting, we saw on social media that the Election Commission procured JUCSU ballot papers and OMR machines for vote counting from a relatively unknown company, linked to Jamaat-e-Islami, bypassing due purchase procedures.”

“This was done with the intention of ensuring victory for the Shibir panel,” he added.

The VP candidate further claimed, “We feared manipulation in vote counting. Later, when the matter came to light and teachers and students protested, the Election Commission abruptly reversed its decision and announced in a notification. It said that votes would be counted manually instead of using OMR machines. However, today’s election is still being conducted with ballot papers supplied by the same company.”

Accusing the university administration, Sadi Hasan alleged that Shibir had separately collected ballot papers through their own company and had devised a plan to rig the election.

He also claimed that a large number of Jamaat-Shibir leaders and activists had gathered in and around the university campus, creating fear among ordinary students.

Students of Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Hall staged a protest during the JUCSU and hall union elections, alleging that voters were not being marked with indelible ink after casting their ballots and that the voter list contained no photographs.

As a result, voting at the centre was suspended for 23 minutes, from 11:52 am until 12:15 pm on Thursday, before resuming.

Sazzad Hossain, a Biotechnology student protesting outside the polling centre, said, “Students of newly established halls like Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Hall were asked to replace their old ID cards with new ones. But since there wasn’t enough time, we were allowed to vote with hall index cards instead. On these cards, one could easily paste a new photo over the old one. Moreover, the voter list included the names of honours students from the hall, but without photos. That’s why the students protested.”

Speaking about this, Returning Officer Alamgir Kabir confirmed the 23-minute suspension and said voting was proceeding smoothly.

“There was no directive requiring a voter list with photographs. The guidelines specified that students could vote using index cards and library cards. However, after students demanded to see the voter list containing photos, a soft copy of the list was brought,” he added.

Saley Ahmad Khan, a member of the central monitoring team of JUCSU election, told Prothom Alo, “Students protested because the voter list lacked photos. Later, a soft copy of the list with photos was sent, and voting has since continued peacefully.”

He described the situation as a “management issue”, adding that 153 ballots had already been cast before the photo list arrived. Those votes would be set aside, and the concerned voters would later be called in for verification.

Earlier, an allegation was raised at Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall, where voters claimed they were not marked with indelible ink.

At that time, Proctor and JUCSU Election Commission Member Secretary AKM Rashidul Alam said, “All the halls have been instructed to mark voters’ fingers with indelible ink after casting their ballots. Each centre has been supplied with two pens of indelible ink. This was supposed to be done at all the halls. We are investigating why it was not followed in some cases.”

An uproar broke out at the polling centre of Jahangirnagar University’s women’s hall no. 15 voting centre following allegations of ‘false votes’ being cast there.

As a result, voting at that hall was suspended for nearly 45 minutes. The incident occurred around 12:00 pm today, Thursday.

Three students, who witnessed the incident, told Prothom Alo that upon hearing rumours that supporters of the Islami Chhatra Shibir were casting false votes at the centre, Chhatra Dal-backed VP candidate Sheikh Sadi Hasan entered the centre with several of his supporters.

According to those witnesses, provost of Fazilatunnesa Hall Professor Nazrul Islam and a few journalists were also with them at the time.

Two employees stationed on duty at the gate of women’s hall no. 15 told Prothom Alo, “The Chhatra Dal candidates entered the hall along with a teacher. Although we tried to stop them, they did not listen.”

Provost of the women’s hall no. 15, Shamima Sultana said the ink used to mark voters after casting their ballots was not lasting long. Then voting was paused briefly to replace the ink, during which the commotion began.

She said she would take action regarding the matter.

Speaking on this matter, provost of the Fazilatunnesa Hall Professor Nazrul Islam, however, said that he is a member of the election monitoring team and does not require permission. He went to the hall upon hearing reports of fraudulent votes, but claimed no candidate was with him.

Member secretary of the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) Election Commission, Professor AKM Rashidul Alam, said, “No one is allowed to enter without permission.”

Sheikh Sadi Hasan said, “We entered the hall with the proctor’s permission based on specific complaints. We had reports that false votes were being cast there. However, some students tried to form a mob there.”

More than half of the registered voters had cast their ballots in the JUCSU and hall union elections by 2:00 pm, according to Professor Mafruhi Sattar, a member of the JUCSU Election Commission.

Speaking around 2:45 pm on Thursday, she said, “Already, over 50 per cent of voters have voted. Polling was briefly halted due to isolated incidents at a few centres. We have instructed officials at those centres to continue voting for a short time if voters arrive after the scheduled hours.”

Polling began at 9:00 am today. While voter presence was initially low, it picked up steadily as the day progressed. Voting will continue until 5:00 pm.

There are a total of 11,743 voters in the JUCSU and hall union elections, including 5,728 female voters and 6,015 male voters. A total of 177 candidates are contesting for 25 positions.

Ayub Ali, a philosophy student at Jahangirnagar University, has been blind since birth. On Thursday, guided by a friend, he came to cast his vote in the JUCSU and hall union elections.

A member of the university’s 51st batch, Ayub cast his ballot at the Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Hall centre around 11:00 am.

Speaking outside the polling station, he said, “Today I voted for the first time in my life. I never had the opportunity before.”

Asked how it felt, Ayub replied, “The experience was very good. I brought a friend with me as a scribe. I said, and he put the tick mark for me.”

His friend, Arhan Rahman, who accompanied him, added, “Voting seems to be taking place smoothly. That feels good.”

The Chhatra Dal-backed panel has boycotted the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) and hall union elections, alleging several irregularities.

The panel’s General Secretary candidate Tanjila Hossain Boishakhi made the announcement at a press conference held at the guest room of Maulana Bhasani Hall around 4:00 pm on Thursday.

Tanjila Hossain Boishakhi alleged that at Hall No. 15 female dormitory, the ink used to mark voters’ fingers was easily removable, and a ballot paper was found lying on the floor. Voting at the hall was suspended there for two hours.

She further claimed that in one hall, their panel’s Vice President (VP) candidate was not allowed to enter. Further allegations were raised saying that voting was suspended because the voters’ list did not contain photographs in Tajuddin Ahmad Hall. Additionally, ballot papers printed at an institution owned by a Jamaat leader were allegedly being used for voting. The panel also alleged that their polling agents were not allowed to stay at all the halls.

The GS candidate further alleged, “The VP candidate of the Chhatra Shibit -backed panel questioned why the administration printed an additional 10 per cent of ballot papers. Our question is whether 10 to 20 per cent of these ballot papers, printed at a Jamaat leader’s company, were handed over to Shibir. Are our candidates and agents being obstructed so that fake ballots can be used for casting votes?”

They also alleged that the responsibility of monitoring polling centres through CCTV was given to the same Jamaat leader’s company.

At the press conference, the panel accused the university administration of joining hands with Jamaat–Shibir to manipulate the election (election engineering) and obstruct the BNP-backed panel’s victory.

The panel’s VP candidate Md Sheikh Sadi Hasan and others were also present at the press conference.

The Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal-backed student panel has announced a boycott of the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election, citing irregularities in the voting process and other allegations.

The panel’s General Secretary candidate Tanjila Hossain Boishakhi made the announcement at a press conference held at the guest room of Maulana Bhasani Hall around 4:00 pm on Thursday.

Vice-President candidate Sheikh Sadi Hasan and other panel members were also present during the declaration.

Hafizur Rahman Sohan, central vice president of Chhatra Dal and a former student of the university, was present at the polling center in Bishwakabi Rabindranath Tagore Hall during the JUCSU election.

The university authorities handed him over to the proctor, and he was later released on a bond.

Shafiqul Islam, provost of Rabindranath Tagore Hall, said, “I left the hall around 12:30 AM on Wednesday night. Later, we received information that around 11:00 AM on Thursday, a Chhatra Dal member was present in the hall.”

Upon receiving the information, he immediately went there and handed over the Chhatra Dal leader and former student to the proctor. He added that the Chief Election Commissioner would take necessary action regarding the matter.

According to Article 18 of the JUCSU and hall union election code of conduct, only election officials, staff, persons approved by the election commission, and voters are allowed to enter polling centers. The residential halls are being used as polling centers for the JUCSU elections.

When asked, the university proctor AKM Rashidul Alam told Prothom Alo, “I have heard about the matter. He was released after giving a written undertaking.”

Three teachers withdraw themselves from election duties half an hour before voting ended. They informed journalists at the JUCSU Election Commission office around 4:30 PM on Thursday that they were stepping down.

The three teachers are Professor Nazrul Islam, Professor Shamima Sultana, and Professor Nahrin Islam Khan, all known as pro-BNP teachers.

They cited several complaints for their decision, including absence of ink marks on voters’ fingers after voting and excessive printing of ballots, among other issues.

Voting for the JUCSU election began at 9:00 AM and was scheduled to end at 5:00 PM. However, students standing in queue after 5:00 PM were still allowed to cast their votes

Even though the scheduled voting time for the JUCSU election has ended, voting continues for students already in line. Students were still seen waiting in the queue to cast their votes at Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Hall, at 5:40 PM.

Voting began at 9:00 AM this morning, and the scheduled end time was 5:00 PM. However, all students who were in line at the close of voting will still be allowed to cast their ballots.

Ballot boxes from 21 residential halls will be taken to the university’s Senate Hall in the JUCSU election, and the results will be announced there after counting.

Professor AKM Rashidul Alam, Secretary of the JUCSU Election Commission, told Prothom Alo this evening that the ballot boxes from all 21 hall polling centres are being brought to the Senate Hall.

Vote counting will begin there, and the process will be shown live on LED screens at several locations across the campus. The results will also be declared at the Senate Hall, he added.

Voting in the 21 halls began at 9:00 am on Thursday and continued until 5:00 pm. However, students who were still in line after 5:00 PM were allowed to cast their votes.

Four panels of progressive students have boycotted the JUCSU election and demanded a re-election, citing widespread irregularities.

The panels are ‘Shompritir Oikko’, ‘Songshoptok Parishad’, ‘Satontra Angikar Parishad,’ and a partial panel of Samajtantrik Chattra Front. Several independent candidates also expressed solidarity with them and announced their boycott.

The announcement was made at a press conference at the university’s transport yard around 6:45 p,n. on Thursday. Shoron Ehsan, General Secretary (GS) candidate from the Shompritir Oikko panel, read out a written statement at the briefing.

In the written statement, Shoron Ehsan said, “From last night’s chaos over ballot boxes to the announcement of polling agents at 2:00 AM — which prevented independent candidates from arranging their polling agents — to not allowing polling agents to carry out their duties, male candidates entering female halls, absence of photos on voter lists, failure to mark voters’ fingers with ink, and even names of eligible voters missing from the list — numerous irregularities, mismanagement, and negligence have given rise to serious doubts and questions about this election. The blame lies solely and entirely with this failed, incompetent, and biased Election Commission and administration.””

“We have boycotted this flawed election and demand that a fresh schedule be announced immediately, followed by a re-election under a fair and acceptable process,” he added.

Chhatra Dal brought out a protest procession after boycotting the JUCSU election. The procession took place on Thursday night around 9:15 p.m. on the Jahangirnagar University campus.

Chhatra Dal brought out a protest procession after boycotting the JUCSU election. The procession took place on Thursday night around 9:15 p.m. on the Jahangirnagar University campus.

Witnesses said the procession started in front of the new arts building, passed the road in front of the JUCSU Election Commission office, and moved toward the transport area.

During the march, Chhatra Dal leaders and activists chanted slogans such as “Boycott, boycott; boycott” JUCSU,” and “JUCSU farce, boycott, boycott.”

Two student of Jahangirnagar University students told Prothom Alo that both current and former Chhatra Dal leaders took part in the procession.

Vote counting has finally started in the JUCSU election. Counting began around 10:15 p.m. tonight in the Jahangirnagar University Senate Hall.

Earlier, voting had started in the university’s 21 residential halls at 9:00 a.m. and officially ended at 5:00 p.m., but students who were still in line were allowed to cast their votes.

After voting concluded, the ballot boxes from all 21 halls were brought to the Senate Hall, where counting commenced around 10:15 p.m.

Meanwhile, candidates from four other panels in addition to Chhatra Dal also announced their decision to boycott the election, citing various irregularities.

Vote counting is underway in the JUCSU election. The counting may take the whole night. The results will be announced on Friday.

JUCSU Election Commission Member Secretary Professor AKM Rashidul Alam told Prothom Alo, “It will take all night to finish counting the votes. We hope it will be possible to announce the results by tomorrow (Friday) noon.”

He added that about 68 per cent of students cast their votes in the election.

Vice President (VP) candidate Arifuzzaman Ujjal of the Student Unity Forum panel, supported by Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad, said that having a JUCSU—even through a flawed election—is better than not having JACSU at all.

He made these remarks at an emergency press conference in front of the university’s old administrative building at 1:30am on Friday.

He said the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election has been called into question due to irregularities, mismanagement, and biased behavior from the administration. However, we believe that having JUCSU—even through a flawed election—is better than not having JACSU at all in the interest of ensuring a balance of power between teachers and students.

As of 9:00 am today, Friday, vote counting has been completed for eight hall unions at Jahangirnagar University.

These halls are: AFM Kamaluddin Hall, Shaheed Salam-Barkat Hall, Maulana Bhasani Hall, Hall no. 10, Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall, Jahanara Imam Hall, Al-Beruni Hall, and Rokeya Hall.

Meanwhile, the vote counting is still underway in four halls and these are: Shaheed Rafiq-Jabbar Hall, National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall, Hall no. 21, and Fazilatunnesa Hall.

This was confirmed by Rezwana Karim Snigdha, election officer at the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) polls.

Assistant professor of the Faculty of Fine Arts, Jannatul Ferdous Moumita, passed away on the way to the hospital after suddenly falling ill while on duty for vote counting in the JUCSU election. The incident occurred earlier this morning, before 8 am on Friday.

Jannatul Ferdous was serving as the Returning Officer and Polling Officer at Pritilata Hall.

Shamim Reza, Chair and Associate Professor of the Faculty of Fine Arts, told reporters that after completing the polling yesterday evening around 6:00 pm, Jannatul Ferdous returned home. This morning, between 7:30 and 8:00 am, she arrived at the Senate Building for vote counting. As she reached the third floor and stood in front of the counting room door, she suddenly collapsed.

Associate professor Shamim Reza further said that she was immediately taken to Enam Medical College Hospital, where physicians declared her dead.

The university’s Proctor and Member-Secretary of the Election Commission, Professor AKM Rashidul Alam, said the incident has cast a pall of grief over the campus.

In the JUCSU and hall union elections, vote counting remains to be completed in three halls, while counting is still underway in another three. Counting in the remaining 15 halls has already been completed.

Meanwhile, the Election Commission has announced a one-hour break in the counting process for prayers and lunch. However, counting in the three halls where it is currently underway will continue until it is completed.

Election Commissioner Rezwana Karim confirmed the information.

Rezwana Karim said, “Among all the hall unions, counting has been completed or is ongoing in all but three halls.”

The three halls where counting is still ongoing are Bishwakobi Rabindranath Tagore Hall, Hall no. 13 (female), and Shaheed Rafique-Jabbar Hall. The three halls where counting has not yet started are Pritilata Hall, Taramon Bibi Hall, and Tajuddin Hall.

The counting of votes in the JUCSU and hall union elections is still underway, 20 hours after polling ended. The total number of registered voters was 11,743, with a turnout of around 67 to 68 per cent.

Polling ended at 5:00 pm yesterday, Thursday. However, those who were still in line were allowed to cast their votes. The counting began around 10:15 pm.

University proctor and member secretary of the Election Commission, AKM Rashidul Alam, told Prothom Alo last night that counting might be completed by Friday afternoon. Later today, he suggested that it could be finished by tonight.

When asked why the counting of votes and the announcement of results were being delayed so much, Rashidul Alam mentioned several reasons:

First, preparations had been made to use OMR machines for the counting. But following requests from several candidates, it was decided to carry out the count manually. Rashidul Alam said it was only natural that a manual count would take more time.

Second, although polling was scheduled to begin at 9:00 am, it was delayed in two halls. In a few halls, the process was briefly suspended midway. In particular, voting progressed very slowly until midday in two large halls with more than a thousand voters each. Later, a large number of students queued up between 4:30 pm and 5:00 pm.

According to rules, all of them had to be allowed to cast their votes. As a result, the ballot boxes from those centres did not arrive until about 9:30 pm. Counting could not start until all ballot boxes arrived, which pushed the beginning of the count to around 10:00 pm, he added.

Third, since everyone had not been fully prepared or did not have full knowledge about the manual counting system in advance, the process moved slowly at first. However the pace improved later.

Fourth, counting began in the Senate building on five tables (one table for one hall), each monitored by CCTV. Later, the number of tables was increased to 10 this morning, with additional cameras installed so that the process could be observed by all and be recorded.

Fifth, Rashidul Alam mentioned a few other issues. He said, “Although many polling officers from the halls were present last night, polling agents were absent in several cases. Ballot boxes should ideally be opened and counted in front of polling agents.”

“Plus, the presence of the respective returning officer is mandatory. We also tried to ensure that. But because the poling agents from some halls were not present, the vote counting process was delayed,” he added.

Rashidul Alam clarified that the initial reasons for the delays have now been largely overcome.

The vote counting in the JUCSU and hall union elections is underway even 22 hours after voting ended. On Thursday night, university proctor and election commission member secretary AKM Rashidul Alam had said the counting would finish by Friday noon. However, he said on Friday noon that the counting may be completed at night.

Such a long delay in vote counting has created discontent among many students.

Umme Habiba, a student of the physics department from the 48th batch said, “We’ve been waiting for the results since last evening. Nobody is able to say for sure when the counting will finish. This waiting is ruining the excitement of the JUCSU election. The administration must take steps to announce the results fast.”

Tanvir Ahmed, a student of the mathematics department from the 49th batch, told Prothom Alo, “Out of the university’s 21 halls, two had candidates elected unopposed. Of the rest, counting votes from each hall is taking about an hour.”

“A hall union has total 15 posts. After the hall unions, there are still JUCSU’s 25 posts to count, which will take at least twice as long. Based on consensus from the panels that still remain in the race and have not withdrawn, the count should be done using OMR machines,” he added.

The total number of registered voters in the JUCSU election was 11,743, with a turnout of around 67 to 68 per cent. For the central union, 177 candidates contested for 25 posts. Nine contested the vice-president (VP) post and eight contested the general secretary (GS) post.

In the 10 female halls of residence, out of 150 positions, 59 had no candidates. In 67 positions there was only one candidate, meaning only 24 positions went to the polls. In two of the university’s 21 halls, candidates were elected unopposed.

The counting of votes in the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election is still underway. The process began with the hall union ballots.

As of 5:45 pm on Friday, counting had been completed in 19 of the hall unions, according to sources of the election commission. Counting is now in progress for Shahid Tajuddin Ahmad Hall, while only Pritilata Hall remains.

The JUCSU election commission had earlier announced that once the counting of hall union votes was complete, the counting for the central students’ union would begin.

On Thursday, voting was held in 21 residential halls of Jahangirnagar University for both the central students’ union and the hall unions.

University proctor and member secretary to the election commission, AKM Rashidul Alam, had said this morning that the commission hoped to complete the full count and announce the unofficial results between 10:00 and 11:00 pm tonight.

Mazharul Islam, the General Secretary (GS) candidate from the Sommonito Shikkharthi Jote, which is supported by Islami Chhatra Shibir, has alleged that attempts are being made to derail the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election.

This allegation was made at a press conference held around 5:15 pm today, Friday, in front of the JUCSU Election Commission office at the university’s Senate Hall.

Mazharul Islam currently serves as the Office and Publicity Secretary of the university unit of Islami Chhatra Shibir. Other members of his panel were also present at the press conference.

Mazharul said, “We can clearly sense a conspiracy. Since the day before the polling, we have repeatedly informed the administration of the areas where such plotting was taking place, urging them to ensure transparency in those matters.”

“All we seek is a fair election. Let the students vote for whomever they choose, but it is your responsibility to guarantee that the election is indeed fair,” he added.

At the press conference, Mazharul also highlighted various forms of mismanagement in the conduct of the election.

Professor Sultana Akter has demanded justice over the death of lecturer Jannatul Ferdous, stating that it was the result of gross mismanagement by the JUCSU Election Commission.

Professor Sultana, of the Department of History, served as the Returning Officer for the Nawab Faizunnesa Hall centre in the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) elections.

She made this demand at an emergency press conference held in front of the university’s Old Arts Building at around 4:30 pm today, Friday.

Professor Sultana Akter further said the university administration must take responsibility for this mismanagement, and that the family of Jannatul Ferdous must be compensated.

She added that many others involved in the election process had also fallen ill.

Explaining the chaos, she noted, “In the hall union election, a single ballot paper is used. But in the JUCSU elections, there are three. That means if 8,000 votes were cast, there are 24,000 counts to be done manually. How can that possibly be completed? Even three days would not be enough. This method must be changed.”

Counting of ballots for the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) has commenced. The process began at around 7:30 pm on Friday evening.

In the first phase, votes from nine halls are being tallied. The halls are: Begum Sufia Kamal Hall, Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall, Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall, Shaheed Salam-Barkat Hall, Nawab Faizunnesa Hall, Khaleda Zia Hall, Shaheed Rafiq-Jabbar Hall, Taramon Bibi Hall, and Jahanara Imam Hall.

JUCSU Election Commissioner Rezwana Karim Snigdha confirmed this.

Earlier, the ballots for the 21 hall unions were counted.

Professor Md Moniruzzaman, the chief election commissioner, has announced that the results of JUCSU and the 21 hall union elections will be declared tonight after the completion of vote counting.

He made the statement during a press conference in front of the Election Commission office at the university’s Senate Hall around 7:30 pm on Friday.

The chief election commissioner said that the vote counting would be completed and the results announced tonight, but he could not specify the exact time. The announcement might even take place in the late hours of the night.

Moniruzzaman said that vote counting began yesterday (Thursday) at 9:00 pm. Out of 21 halls, counting in 19 halls has already been completed.

He said, “Vote counting for the JUCSU election is ongoing. We have increased manpower to speed up the process. Votes are being counted transparently in front of the candidates’ agents.”

He also noted that no one unrelated to the Election Commission has been involved in the counting process.

Swatantra Shikkharthi Shammilon vice president (VP) candidate Abdur Rashid Jitu has declared that any attempt to suspend the JUCSU election results will be resisted together with general students.

He made the remarks on Friday evening while responding to journalists’ queries in front of the university’s Old Administration Building.

Jitu, a former central coordinator of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, said, “We are hearing that a vested quarter is trying to delay or suspend the results. If such attempts are made, we will resist them along with general students.”

He further said that their demand to the administration and the Election Commission is to complete the manual vote counting as soon as possible and announce the results without delay.

“We will not accept any conspiracy over the election. We will wait until the deadline set by the administration, and we will accept whatever verdict the results bring,” Jitu added.

Professor Mafruhi Sattar, one of the commissioners of the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election, has announced his resignation from the commission.

He made the declaration at a press conference held near the university’s New Arts Building at around 8:45 pm on Friday night.

Vote counting for the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) is currently underway. The counting began at around 7:30 p.m on Friday.

Earlier, the votes for the hall unions were counted.

According to JUCSU Election Commission sources, in the first phase of the central student union vote counting, ballots from nine halls are being tallied.

Vote counting for the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election is still ongoing. Earlier, the counting for the hall union elections was completed. Today, Saturday, marks the third consecutive day of counting.

The counting is being held at the university’s Senate Hall. So far, no specific information has been given about when the process will end. The Election Commission has mentioned different deadlines at different times.

Chief Election Commissioner Professor Md. Moniruzzaman had earlier stated that the results of JUCSU and the 21 hall union elections would be announced by Friday night after the completion of vote counting.

Before that, the university proctor and member secretary of the Election Commission, AKM Rashidul Alam, had said they would be able to complete the counting and unofficially release the results between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Friday. Earlier the same day, he had mentioned that the results could be published by noon.

Voting for the JUCSU election began at 9 a.m. on Thursday and continued until 5 p.m. Counting started at 10:15 p.m. that night and is still underway.

Vote counting for 15 halls has been completed in the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election.

Election Commission member Professor Lutful Elahi told Prothom Alo around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, “Counting in 15 halls has been completed. We hope to finish counting the remaining halls by 1 p.m.”

Earlier, the vote counting for the hall unions was completed. Today, Saturday, is the third consecutive day of the ongoing JUCSU vote counting.

The process is being carried out at the university’s Senate Hall. No definite information has yet been given on when the counting will finally be completed, as the Election Commission has announced different deadlines at different times.

The counting is being held at the university’s Senate Hall. So far, no specific information has been given about when the process will end. The Election Commission has mentioned different deadlines at different times.

Chief Election Commissioner Professor Md. Moniruzzaman had earlier stated that the results of JUCSU and the 21 hall union elections would be announced by Friday night after the completion of vote counting.

Before that, the university proctor and member secretary of the Election Commission, AKM Rashidul Alam, had said they would be able to complete the counting and unofficially release the results between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Friday. Earlier the same day, he had mentioned that the results could be published by noon.

Voting for the JUCSU election began at 9 a.m. on Thursday and continued until 5 p.m. Counting started at 10:15 p.m. that night and is still underway.

In the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election, vote counting is underway for six halls, with two of them nearing completion.

JUCSU election commission member Professor Lutful Elahi confirmed this shortly before 10:00 am today, Saturday.

Lutful Elahi said that counting of votes has been completed for 15 halls. Now, counting is ongoing for Shahid Tajuddin Ahmad Hall, AFM Kamal Uddin Hall, Hall no. 21, National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall, Bishwakabi Rabindranath Tagore Hall, and Maulana Bhashani Hall.

Among these, the counting of votes from Bishwakabi Rabindranath Tagore Hall and Shahid Tajuddin Ahmad Hall is almost finished and will be concluded very soon, added the professor.

Vote counting has been completed in 17 halls In the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election, with four remaining. The counting is taking place at the university’s Senate Building.

JUCSU Election Commission member Professor Lutful Elahi confirmed this shortly before 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.

The remaining halls are Moulana Bhashani Hall, National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall, Bishwakabi Rabindranath Tagore Hall, and Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmad Hall.

Earlier, the counting for the hall unions was completed. Today marks the third consecutive day of the JUCSU vote counting.

At around 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Lutful Elahi told Prothom Alo, “We hope to finish counting the remaining halls by 1 p.m.”

At Jahangirnagar University, Chief Election Commissioner Professor Md Moniruzzaman expressed hope that vote counting would be completed, results prepared, and declared by 7:00 pm today, Saturday.

Professor Md Moniruzzaman said this at the university’s Senate Hall at around 11:45 am.

In response to a question from journalists about when the results might be announced, Moniruzzaman said that once counting is complete, preparations are required before the results can be declared and this will take some time.

He estimated that the announcement could be made by around 7:00 pm.

When asked whether the counting was being carried out in shifts, the chief election commissioner replied that there was no scope for that.

Earlier, Chief Election Commissioner Professor Md Moniruzzaman had stated that once the counting was completed the results of the JUCSU and 21 hall union elections would be announced by Friday midnight.

He had made that remark at around 7:30 pm yesterday, Friday.

In the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election, vote counting has been completed for 19 halls. Counting is now underway for the remaining two halls at the university’s Senate Hall.

JUCSU election commission member Professor Lutful Elahi confirmed this at around 12:30 pm today, Saturday.

The election commission member said that counting is currently in progress in Bishwakabi Rabindranath Tagore Hall and National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall.

Earlier, at around 11:45 am, JUCSU Chief Election Commissioner Professor Md Moniruzzaman told journalists from the Senate Hall that he hopes counting would be completed, results would be prepared, and announced by 7:00 pm today, Saturday.

The authorities of Jahangirnagar University (JU) have announced that the university will remain closed tomorrow, Sunday. All offices and classes will be suspended, and all scheduled examinations postponed.

On the following day, Monday (15 September), classes and offices will reopen as usual, though all previously scheduled final examinations will remain postponed.

This information was confirmed today in a press release signed by the university’s registrar, ABM Azizur Rahman.

The decision to close the university tomorrow was taken after four consecutive days of election-related activities.

Vote counting for the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) and hall union elections has been ongoing for three days, including today, Saturday, following the completion of polling.

The election commission expects to announce the results by this evening.

However, the admission process in the first-year undergraduate honours programme for the 2024–25 academic sessions will continue Sunday. The relevant offices will remain open, and teachers, officers, and staff involved in the admission process will be present.

The counting of votes in the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) and hall union elections has finally been completed. The process took more than 40 hours.

Professor Abdur Razzak, provost of National Poet Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall and a member of the election commission, told Prothom Alo shortly before 3:00 pm, “Counting of votes from all halls has been completed. The last remaining count was from my hall, and that too is now finished.”

According to election commission sources, since the counting in each hall has been completed separately, the totals will now be combined, cross-checked, and then the results will be announced.

Polling began at 9:00 am on Thursday and continued until 5:00 pm. Counting started at 10:15 pm that night and concluded after 2:30 pm today, Saturday, at the university’s Senate Hall.

Throughout the process, the election commission gave different assurances regarding the timeframe for completing the count and announcing the results.

Chief Election Commissioner Professor Md Moniruzzaman had said that the counting of votes for JUCSU and 21 hall unions would be completed by Friday night and the results will be announced afterwards.

Earlier, the university’s proctor and member secretary of the election commission, AKM Rashidul Alam, had stated that they would finish counting and be able to announce the unofficial results between 10:00 pm and 11:00 pm on Friday.

Before that, he had said the results would be announced on Friday afternoon.

Lastly, election commission member Professor Lutful Elahi said the counting would be completed by 1:00 pm today, Saturday.

Chief Election Commissioner Professor Md Moniruzzaman expressed hope that the vote counting would be finished, results prepared, and announced by 7:00 pm.

Vote counting in the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election has been completed. Now, candidates and students are waiting for the results.

The JUCSU polls were held last Thursday. After voting at 21 residential halls, the ballot boxes were taken to the Senate Hall, where counting continued for about 40 hours.

There were a total of 11,743 registered voters in the JUCSU election, with around 68 percent turnout. A total of 177 candidates contested for 25 posts.

• Vice President (VP): 9 candidates

• General Secretary (GS): 8 candidates

• Joint General Secretary (Female): 6 candidates

• Joint General Secretary (Male): 10 candidates

At first, the results of the hall unions are being announced. The respective returning officers will declare the results of the 21 hall unions one by one.

At Female Hall No. 13 union, Nahadatun Hasana has been elected VP. Muhsina Tuba has been elected GS, and Sadia Mehjabin AGS.

At Begum Khaleda Zia Hall union, Farhana Rahman has been elected VP. Fatema Tuz-Zohra has been elected GS, and Raihana Sarker has been elected AGS.

At Bishwakobi Rabindranath Tagore Hall union, Amit Kumar Banik has been elected VP. Mahmudul Hasan has been elected GS, and Mirza Adnan Islam has been elected AGS (unopposed).

At Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Hall union, Sifat Ullah has been elected VP. Mahmudul Hasan has been elected GS, and Tariq Ahmed has been elected AGS.

At Fazilatunnesa Hall union, Oishi Sarker has been elected VP (unopposed). Farzana Tabassum has been elected GS, and Proma Raha has been elected AGS.

At Shaheed Rafiq-Jabbar Hall union, Mehedi Hasan has been elected VP. Shariful Islam has been elected GS, and Ariful Islam has been elected AGS.

At Male Hall No. 21 union, Ibn-e-Shihab has been elected VP. Oliullah Mahadi has been elected GS, and Tushar Ahmed has been elected AGS.

At Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall union, Rakibul Islam has been elected VP. Ali Ahmed has been elected GS and Samin Yasir has been elected AGS.

At AFM Kamal Uddin Hall union, GMM Raihan Kabir has been elected VP. Abrar Shahriar has been elected GS, and Ripon Mondal has been elected AGS (unopposed).

At Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall union, Khaled Jubayer has been elected VP. Shariar Nazim has been elected GS, Arafat Hossain AGS.

At Maulana Bhasani Hall union, Abdul Hai Swapon has been elected Vice President, and Hriday Poddar has been elected General Secretary. Rakib Hasan has been elected Assistant General Secretary.

Shaheed Salam–Barkat Hall union, Maruf Hossain has been elected Vice President. Masud Rana has been elected General Secretary, and Abrar Azim Bhuiyan has been elected Assistant General Secretary.

At Al-Beruni Hall, Rifat Ahmed Shakil has been elected Vice President, Muntasir Billah Khan as General Secretary, and Sadman Hasan Khan as Assistant General Secretary.

At Nawab Faizunnesa Hall union, Bubli Ahmed has been elected Vice President (unopposed). Sumaiya Khanom has been elected General Secretary (unopposed). There is no candidate for Assistant General Secretary. 

At 10 No. Student (male) Hall union, Asif Mia has been elected Vice President while Mehedi Hasan General Secretary. Nadim Mahmud has won Assistant General Secretary post.

At 15 No. (Girls’) Hall union, Sharmin Khatun has been elected Vice President (unopposed), Mehnaz Mohona has been elected General Secretary, and Shahana Akter has been elected Assistant General Secretary.

The results of the 21 hall unions of Jahangirnagar University have been announced. Now the results of the Jahangirnagar University Central Students' Union (JUCSU) will be declared.

Executive Members: Mohammad Ali Chisty, Abu Talha, Tariqul Islam, Nusrat Jahan, Nabila Binte Harun, and Fabila Jahan have been elected elected Executive Members of JUCSU.

Transport and Communication Secretary: Tanvir Rahman.

Food Security Secretary: Husni Mobarak

Assistant Social Welfare Secretary: Touhid Hasan

Social Welfare Secretary: Ahsan Labib

Information Technology and Library Secretary: Rashedul Islam

Assistant Sports Secretary (Male): Mahadi Hasan

Assistant Social Welfare Secretary (Female): Nigar Sultana

Assistant Sports Secretary (Female): Farhana Akter.

Assistant Cultural Affaris Secretary: Raihan Uddin.

Cultural Affairs Secretary: Mohibullah Sheikh.

Literature and Publications Secretary: Zahidul Islam

Ferdous Al Hasan and Ayesha Siddika Meghla have been elected AGS

Mazharul Islam has won the General Secretary (GS) post. He is the Office and Publications Secretary of the university unit of Chhatra Shibir. He contested from the Shibir-supported panel, Samannito Chhatro Jote.

Abdur Rashid Jitu has been elected VP of JUCSU. He was coordinator of Anti-Discrimination Student Movement.

Jitu secured 3,334 votes, while his nearest rival Arif Ullah received 2,392 votes. Arif contested from Shibir-backed panel.