JUCSU polls today with 8 panels in the race

After a long hiatus of long 33 years, the much-anticipated Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) and Hall Parliament elections will be held today (Thursday) amid sheer enthusiasm, festivityand caution.

The 9th student council polls since its establishment will begin at 9am to continue till 5pm. Through this election, students’ long-cherished hopes for democratic practice on campus will finally be realised.

The election campaign formally concluded on Tuesday night, leaving students engaged in last-minute analysis over which candidates are likely to lead in the final stretch.

However, no single panel or student organisation has been identified as a clear frontrunner. Students believe all the contenders are competing on their own merits, with voters expected to elect the most capable candidates on polling day.

A total of eight panels, including both full and partial, are contesting this year’s JUCSU elections. A panel backed by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, the Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed “Samonnito Chhatra Jote”, the Bangladesh Democratic Students’ Union-backed panel “Sammilito Unity Forum”, two panels supported by separate factions of the Bangladesh Chhatra Union “Sompiritir Oikko” and “Songshoptok Parishad”, along with three other independent panels have nominated their candidates.

While students are not rallying behind a single panel, they are considering several key factors before casting their votes, including the spirit of the July Movement, candidates’ personal image and leadership quality, involvement in social activities, and, in case of candidates from political organisations, their past record.

Some have speculated that the outcome of the recently held Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) election might influence Jahangirnagar University Students’ Union (JUCSU) pollsthough many students believe it will not be a decisive factor.

Yet party-based reserve votes may still significantly sway results, giving candidates from established student organisations a slight advantage.

At present, independent candidate Abdur Rashid Jitu, JatiyatabadiChhatra Dal-nominated Sheikh SadiHasan, BDSU-backed ArifuzzamanUjjal, and ArifUllah of the SamonnitoChhatraJote are seen as strong contenders for the Vice-President (VP) post.

For the position of General Secretary (GS), the race is heating up between Mazharul Islam of the ChhtraShibir-backed panel, JCD-backed candidate TanzilaHossainBoishakhi, and BDSU-nominated candidate Tauhid Mohammad Siam.

With women making up half of Jahangirnagar’s student body, most of them outside direct party peripheries, their votes are expected to play a decisive role in the final outcome.

However, the university administration and the election commission have completed all preparations for JUCSU. Polling takes place from 9 am to 5 pm across 224 booths in 21 halls, 10 of them for female students and 11 for males. Each centre will have a returning officer, supported by 67 polling officers and 67 assistant polling officers. Students will cast votes in 40 separate ballots for both central and hall councils, with counting to be conducted using special OMR.

To ensure security, around 1,200 police personnel, both in uniform and in civil dress, will be deployed at designated points across the university campus, acting on the election commission’s directives. University security staff will oversee the polling centres and halls, while two magistrates will also be on duty.

This marks the 10th JUCSU election in Jahangirnagar’s history, with 11,897 students eligible to vote. The polls are set to stand as the largest-ever demonstration of democratic practice in the university’s history.