JUCSU Election Today

The Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election is scheduled to take place today.

Voting will begin on Thursday, 11 September, at 9:00 a.m. and continue throughout the day.

The official campaign ended at midnight on Tuesday, 9 September. On the final day, vigorous campaigning was observed from various panels and independent candidates, including:

• The Chhatra Dal-backed panel
• The Islami Chhatra Shibir-supported Combined Students’ Alliance panel
• The Independent Students’ Gathering panel
• The Sangsaptak panel, supported by the Chhatra Union and Chhatra Front
• The Sampriti Unity panel, backed by a section of progressive students
• Several other independent candidates

Most candidates were seen actively engaging with students until the last hour of campaigning.

Key Election Statistics

To maintain law and order during the election:

• 1,500 police officers will be deployed
• 7 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will be on duty
• 5 platoons of Ansar personnel will provide additional support

Law enforcement and Ansar members will remain stationed both inside and outside the campus to prevent any untoward incidents.

On the last day of campaigning, significant debate arose regarding the mandatory dope test for candidates.

• Sample collection took place between 9:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. for both central and hall union candidates.
• While many candidates welcomed the initiative, they criticised the Election Commission’s timing. Candidates argued that conducting the tests only two days before the election—ten days after the final list of candidates was published—was a short-sighted and poorly planned decision.

The election also faced legal complexities regarding Amartya Roy, the vice-president (VP) candidate from the Sampriti Unity panel:

• The High Court initially directed that Amartya Roy be allowed to contest the election, staying the university’s decision of 6 September that had cancelled his candidacy.
• However, the Appellate Division’s Chamber Judge, Justice Md Rezaul Haque, suspended the High Court order for eight weeks, following a petition from the university authorities.
• The appeal hearing took place at around 5:00 p.m., where:
  • Barrister Mohammad Shishir Monir represented Jahangirnagar University
  • Barrister Manzur Al Matin, assisted by Advocate Tapas Bandhu Das, represented Amartya Roy

This legal battle has added further tension to the much-anticipated JUCSU election.