JUCSU voting started peacefully, fewer voters in morning

After 33 years, elections for the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) and hall unions are being held on Thursday. Voting began shortly after 9:00 am and will continue until 5:00 pm.

The Returning Officer and other election officials began preparations at the polling centres from 8:00 am. Senior police officials briefed police and Ansar members at the university’s central playground, who were later deployed in groups at various gates and key points across the campus.

In the morning, SM Hamid Hasan, a student of the 2021–22 academic year (51st batch) from Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall, cast his vote.

He said, “I queued early at the start of polling. I could cast my vote after standing in line for around 20 minutes.”

Around 9:30 am, at AFM Kamal Uddin Hall, voting was observed taking place in the common room, with four to five voters standing in line.

However, no polling agents representing the candidates were present at the centre. Election officials were marking voters’ fingers with indelible ink.

At 10:00 am, the Returning Officer in charge of the hall, Shiblee Noman, told Prothom Alo, “Voting began at 9:00 am and everyone is casting their votes spontaneously. So far, 19 people have voted. Although turnout is low at present, it is expected to increase as the day progresses. We were informed earlier this morning that polling agents would be present, but no clear instructions were given as to how this would be arranged. This has left the election process somewhat disorganised.”

At around 9:15 am, a student named Shahid Uz Zaman arrived on campus from Dhaka.

He said, “After a long time, JUCSU elections are being held. JUCSU is one of the key platforms for protecting students’ rights. All students living off campus should make it a point to return and cast their vote.”

Meanwhile, it has been reported that voting at the Fazilatunnesa Hall polling centre had not started even half an hour after the scheduled time. Four students of the hall confirmed the matter.

Attempts to contact Abu Saif, the Returning Officer of the Fazilatunnesa Hall polling centre, via mobile phone were unsuccessful, as he did not respond.

To maintain law and order on campus, more than 2,000 members of the law enforcement agencies, including police, Ansar and armed police, have been deployed in plain clothes.

Professor Mafruhi Sattar, a member of the JUCSU Election Commission, told Prothom Alo that voters were casting their ballots in an orderly manner.

He further said that more than 2,000 members of the law enforcement agencies were actively engaged in maintaining a stable security environment.

JUCSU has a total of 11,743 registered voters, comprising 5,728 female students and 6,015 male students. For the central union, 177 candidates are contesting 25 posts.

At the same time, elections are also being held for 21 hall unions. There are nine candidates for the Vice-President (VP) post and eight candidates for the General Secretary (GS) post.

Altogether, seven panels are contesting in the JUCSU elections. Among these, four are full panels and three are partial panels.

The full panels include the Chhatra Dal–backed panel, the Islami Chhatra Shibir–supported Somonnito Shikkharthi Jote, the Progressive students’ panel Sompritir Oikya and the Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangsad-backed panel Shikkharthi Oikya Forum.

The partial panels include the Swatantro Shikkharthi Sommilon, the Swatantro Ongikar Parishad and the Chhatra Union and Chhatra Front-backed panel Shongshoptak Porshod.

In addition, a significant number of independent candidates are also contesting the elections.