Following prolonged student movements, Jahangirnagar University (JU) authority has finally announced the schedule for the long-awaited Central Student's Union (Jucsu) election. According to the declared timeline, polls will take place on July 31.
The Chief Election Commissioner, Professor Md Moniruzzaman, announced the schedule at around 1:30am on Thursday in the council room of the university’s administrative building.
As per the announced schedule, the draft voter list and draft code of conduct will be published on May 12, while objections and feedback regarding the voter list will be accepted until 5pm on May 21. The final updated voter list and finalized code of conduct will be published on June 30.
Nomination papers will be distributed from July 1 to July 3 and submitted between July 1 and July 7, both until 5pm. Scrutiny and the draft candidate list will be released on July 9. Appeals against the acceptance or rejection of nomination papers can be submitted until July 11, with hearings and verdicts announced by July 13.
The last date for nomination withdrawal is July 14, and the final list of candidates will be published on July 15. Election campaigning will run from July 16 until midnight on July 28, while the list of uncontested winners, if any, will be announced on July 16. Voting will be held on July 31 from 9am to 5pm, followed by vote counting and result declaration.
Regarding the hall union election policy, Chief Election Commissioner Professor Moniruzzaman said, "it will be formulated in coordination with hall provosts."
For security, Member Secretary and Proctor Professor Dr Rashidul Alam said: "the entire campus will be brought under CCTV surveillance. External interference will be strictly controlled, with armed forces deployed and military support sought if necessary."
Earlier at 12:30am, Vice-Chancellor Professor Mohammad Kamruzzaman had announced the election date. Citing Article 8(kha) of the Jucsu constitution, he stated that both Jucsu and hall union elections will be held simultaneously on July 31. “We reached this decision after a consultative meeting with all student and political organizations in a positive atmosphere,” he added.
He also mentioned that the university syndicate had approved a new Jucsu constitution, replacing the previous one in response to student demands.
Meanwhile, the university authorities have also published a revised charter for Jucsu and the hall unions. According to the new charter, the union will consist of 27 posts, of which 24 will be elected. The posts of president and treasurer will remain unelected, reserved for the vice-chancellor and treasurer of the university, respectively. Despite demands from most student bodies, the revised charter keeps the president's post as an ex-officio role for the vice-chancellor.
Jahangirnagar University officially began its journey on January 12, 1971. The first Jucsu was formed in 1972. Since then, Jucsu elections have been held nine times—in 1974, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992.
After 32 years, on December 30, 2024, the university authority announced a roadmap and formed the Election Commission. Although the schedule was initially set for February 1, disagreements and protests among student organizations led to its postponement based on the recommendation of the Environment Council.
