Jucsu polls: 60% of all seats vacant or uncontested

The upcoming Jahangirnagar University Central Students' Union (Jucsu) and hall union elections have drawn 622 candidates for 340 posts.

However, nearly 60 percent of the seats are either uncontested or vacant.

Of the 622 candidates, 449 are males and 173 females. For the 25 central union posts, 179 -- 133 males and 46 females -- are in the race.

An analysis of the final list shows that out of 315 posts across 11 male and 10 female halls, 131 are uncontested while 68 remain vacant.

There are 11,919 registered voters for the Jucsu polls, which are taking place after 34 years.

Of the voters, 6,102 are males and 5,817 females.

While female students make up 48.8 percent of the electorate, their participation remains low.

According to the constitution, each hall union council has 15 posts. But in the 10 female halls, out of 150 posts, 59 remain vacant, while 65 have already been won uncontested.

In Nawab Faizunnesa Hall, six posts, including vice-president and general secretary, have only one candidate each, while nine remain vacant. In Sufia Kamal Hall, 10 posts, including VP, GS, and assistant general secretary, are uncontested and five are vacant. Fazilatunnesa Hall has nine uncontested posts, including VP, and three vacant ones.

In Female Hall No-15, six posts, including VP, are uncontested, while four remain vacant. Female Hall No-13 has 12 vacant posts, with only one contested. In Begum Khaleda Zia Hall, seven posts are vacant and six uncontested, while Jahanara Imam Hall has eight uncontested and four vacant ones.

Of 165 posts in the 11 male halls, 66 have been won uncontested, and nine remain vacant.

In Rabindranath Tagore Hall, 10 posts are uncontested and one vacant. In Shaheed Salam-Barkat Hall, nine are uncontested and two vacant, while Al Beruni Hall has five uncontested and four vacant.

In other halls, uncontested wins include Kamaluddin Hall (eight), Male Hall No-10 (six), Rafiq-Jabbar Hall (six), Maulana Bhasani Hall (six), Male Hall No-21 (five), Mir Mosharraf Hall (five), and Tajuddin Ahmad Hall (four).

LOW FEMALE PARTICIPATION

At least 10 female students told this correspondent that cyberbullying, harassment, and the absence of a women-friendly political atmosphere are the main reasons behind their reluctance to join the polls.

Faiza Mehzabin Priontee, president of Jahangirnagar Sanskritik Jote, said, "Women are losing interest in politics as there is no supportive and inclusive environment on campus. Complaints of abuse are ignored, and perpetrators continue with impunity."

Rezwana Karim Snigdha, associate professor of anthropology, said the long gap in Jucsu elections left many students unaware of their value. She noted that since last August, women in politics have faced severe online harassment, discouraging them further. "Lack of recognition and insecurity have fueled their apathy."

Some male students have also shown little enthusiasm for the polls.

Except for Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, no other student organisation has fielded hall panels. JCD submitted full panels in four male halls and partial panels in seven, but none in the female halls.

Sharan Ahsan, a general secretary candidate from the Sompritir Oikya panel, said the university administration failed to create a festive atmosphere for the election. "Restrictions on campaigning, final exams during polls, ID card-related complications, and the broader national political climate have dampened enthusiasm."

Meanwhile, Election Commission member Professor Mafruhi Sattar said the commission is considering re-elections for the vacant posts. Recalling his student life, he said he witnessed four Jucsu elections.

"All four were full of enthusiasm. I'm surprised by such a lacklustre Jucsu this time. The university administration has probably failed to generate excitement."

The Jucsu election, last held in 1992, is scheduled for September 11.