The Jahangirnagar University (JU) Election Commission has announced the schedule for the long-awaited Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (Jucsu) election, set to be held on September 11.
The announcement was made at 3:30pm on Sunday at the university’s Senate Hall by Jucsu Election Member Secretary Prof Dr AKM Rashidul Alam.
The decision was taken in line with Section 8(b) of the Jucsu Constitution.
As per the schedule, the draft voter list and code of conduct will be published on Sunday afternoon. Objections and opinions regarding the voter list can be submitted until 4pm on August 14. The final updated voter list and code of conduct will be published on August 17.
Those interested in contesting the polls can collect and submit nomination papers from 9am to 4pm on August 18 and 19.
Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place from August 21 to 24, with the draft candidate list to be published on August 25.
Appeals regarding nomination validity and against cancellations will be accepted from 9am to 12pm on August 26. Hearings on the appeals will be held from 9am to 2pm on August 27, and the verdicts will be announced at 4pm the same day.
The last date for withdrawal of nominations is from 9am to 4pm on August 28, while the final list of candidates will be published at 4pm on August 29. Campaigning will run from 4pm on August 29 until midnight on September 9. Voting will take place from 9am to 5pm on September 11, with results to be announced from 7pm onwards the same day.
Following the Jucsu schedule announcement, returning officers declared the schedules for the hall union elections in all 21 residential halls.
Present during the announcement were Jucsu Chief Election Commissioner Prof Dr Md Moniruzzaman, members Prof Mohammad Mafruhi Sattar, Prof Dr Khandaker Lutful Elahi, Dr Rezwana Karim Snigdha, and the provosts and wardens of the 21 residential halls.
Speaking to reporters, member secretary Prof Dr AKM Rashidul Alam, who is also the university proctor, said all necessary measures will be taken to hold a free and fair election. Members of the armed forces will be deployed to maintain stability, and law enforcement agencies will provide overall support.
For months, JU students have been staging human chains, protest processions, hunger strikes, and other programs demanding the Jaksu polls. The announcement came in response to these movements.
JU was officially inaugurated on January 12, 1971. The Jucsu was formed in 1972, with the first election held the same year. Golam Morshed was elected vice president and Rokon Uddin general secretary. Since then, Jaksu elections were held in 1974, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1989, 1990, 1991, and 1992 — nine times in total.
