After 33 years, Jucsu goes to polls today

After 33 long years, students of Jahangirnagar University are set to cast their votes today for the much-awaited Jucsu and hall union elections.

A total of 11,919 registered voters, including 6,102 men and 5,817 women, will elect representatives in the central students' union and hall unions.

 Each voter will cast ballots for 40 positions -- 25 in Jucsu and 15 in the hall unions. Out of 620 candidates vying for 340 posts, 448 are men and 172 women.

An analysis shows nearly 60 percent of hall posts are either uncontested or vacant.

 Of the 315 positions across 21 dormitories, 131 are uncontested and 68 vacant. For the central union, 177 candidates are in the race -- 132 men and 45 women.

Among the male dormitories, Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall has the highest number of voters with 994, followed by Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Hall with 954 and Hall No-21 with 752. Among the female dorms, Bir Pratik Taramon Bibi Hall has the highest with 983 voters, followed by Rokeya Hall with 957 and Fazilatunnesa Hall with 808.

There are 10 final candidates for the vice president post and eight for the general secretary post. Six are contesting for female assistant general secretary, 10 for male AGS, while other posts -- including cultural, sports, IT, social service, and executive member -- also have multiple contenders.

The campus, long dominated by ruling party-backed student wings, has come alive in recent weeks with colourful campaigning and creative leaflets.

 Yesterday, the election commission announced 224 booths would be set up across the halls. Each hall will have a returning officer, with 67 polling agents and 67 assistant polling officers -- all teachers -- to oversee the process.

Voting will take place from 9:00am to 5:00pm through ballot marking under CCTV surveillance. To ensure security, over 1,500 law enforcers, including plainclothes officers, have been deployed. Seven platoons of BGB and five platoons of Ansar have also been stationed, alongside security staff at all 12 campus gates.

Observers note that with almost 6,000 women voters registered, a turnout of just over 3,000 could tip the balance in multiple races. "Female voters will certainly play a decisive role in who will win or lose," said Prof Mostofa N. Mansur, a four-time elected Jucsu leader.

At least 20 female students from 10 dormitories told this correspondent they would support candidates committed to gender equality and women's empowerment.

"We'll vote for those who won't try to bring back evening curfews or side with anti-liberation forces," said anthropology student Nushrika Adri.

Lone female GS candidate Tanzila Hossain Boishakhi said, "Politics is hard for women in our country. I want to show that with qualifications one can move forward despite challenges."

Her chances gained momentum after rival Syeda Ananna Fariya withdrew two days before the polls as a call for unity among those committed to gender equality, the spirit of the 1971 Liberation War, and the 2024 uprising.

Other GS contenders include Majharul Islam of the Shibir-backed Shomonnito Shikkharthi Jote, Touhid Mohammad Siam of the Gonotantrik Chhatra Sangsad-backed Shikkharthi Oikkya Forum, Sharan Ahsan of Shomprotir Oikkya, and independent candidate Shakil Ali.

For the vice president post, the candidates are Abdur Rashid Jitu, an independent and former Chhatra League activist who rose to prominence during last year's July uprising; Arifuzzaman of the Gonotantrik Chhatra Sangsad-backed panel; Sheikh Sadi Hasan of the JCD-backed panel; and independent candidate Mahfuz Islam Megh, a theatre activist and former coordinator of the July movement.

The last Jucsu polls were held in 1992.