United News of Bangladesh

Islami Chhatra Shibir has tightened its grip on Bangladesh’s student politics, storming to a resounding victory in the Jahangirnagar University Central Student Union (JUCSU) elections. Riding high on its earlier victory of Dhaka University’s DUCSU polls, the Shibir-backed ‘Coordinated Student Alliance’ clinched 20 out of 25 central council seats, leaving rival groups trailing far behind. Although independent candidate Abdur Rashid Zitu won the Vice President (VP) post Shibir-backed panel candidates secured the remaining key positions. Zitu grabbed the VP post with 3324 votes. He is the convener of JU’s Gonoovvutthan Rokkha Andolon and a 47th batch student of the Institute of Comparative Literature and Culture. The results were announced on Saturday at 7 pm by the JU Election Commission. The Shibir-backed candidates elected include General Secretary Mazharul Islam (3930 votes) AGS (Male) Ferdous Al Hasan (2358) AGS (Female) Ayesha Siddiqua Meghla (3402) Education & Research Secretary Abu Ubaida Usama (2428) and Environment & Nature Conservation Secretary Md. Shafayet Mir (2811). Other elected members from the Shibir-backed panel include: Literature & Publication Secretary Jahidul Islam Bappi (1907), Co-Cultural Secretary Md. Raihan Uddin (1986), Drama Secretary Md. Ruhul Islam (1929), Co-Sports Secretary (Female) Farhana Akter Lubna (1976), Co-Sports Secretary (Male) Md. Mahdi Hasan (2105), IT & Library Secretary Md. Rashedul Imon Likhan (2436), Co-Social Welfare & Human Development Secretary (Female) Nigar Sultana, Co-Social Welfare & Human Development Secretary (Male) Touhid Islam (2442) Health & Food Security Secretary Husne Mubarak (2653) and Transport & Communication Secretary Tanvir Rahman (2559). JUCSU Polls: Independent Abdur Rashid grabs VP, Shibir’s Mazhar bags GS Executive members include Tarikul Islam (1766) and Abu Talha (1854) (male) and Nabila Binte Harun (2753) Fabliha Jahan (2475) and Nusrat Jahan Ima (3014) (female). Among the remaining five seats three went to independents and two to the Bangladesh Ganatantrik Chhatra Sangshad (Bagchas) panel. Independent winners were Cultural Secretary Muhibullah Sheikh Jisan (2018) and Sports Secretary Mahmudul Hasan Kiran (5778). Bagchas won Social Welfare & Human Development Secretary (Ahsan Labib, 1590) and male executive member (Mohammad Ali Chishti, 2414) post. The elections held for the first time in 33 years saw nearly 68% turnout with about 8000 of 12000 eligible voters casting ballots. Counting took almost 40 hours as votes were tallied manually rather than by machine.

After two days of tense delays and high-stakes political drama, the Jahangirnagar University Central Student Union (JUCSU) election results were declared on Saturday evening, with independent contender Abdur Rashid Zitu clinching the VP post while Shibir’s Mazharul Islam taking GS. The Shibir-backed ‘Coordinated Student Alliance’ further tightened its grip, bagging 20 of the 25 seats in the central council, including the top three positions amid cheers and controversy on the campus. The results were announced at around 7 pm on Saturday by Chief Returning Officer Professor Dr Moniruzzaman at the JUCSU Election Commission office. JUCSU polls: Vote counting ends after 44 hours Other central council members elected include: AGS (Male) Ferdous Al Hasan and AGS (Female) Ayesha Siddiqua Meghla (Chhatra Shibir), Education & Research Secretary Abu Ubaida Usama (Chhatra Shibir), Environment & Nature Conservation Secretary Shafayet Mir (Chhatra Shibir), Literature & Publication Secretary Jahidul Islam Bappi (Chhatra Shibir), Cultural Secretary Muhibullah Sheikh Jisan (Independent), Co-Cultural Secretary Raihan Uddin (Chhatra Shibir), Drama Secretary Ruhul Islam (Chhatra Shibir), Sports Secretary Mahmudul Hasan Kiran (Independent), Co-Sports Secretary (Male) Mahdi Hasan and Co-Sports Secretary (Female) Farhana Akter Lubna (Chhatra Shibir). JU teacher Jannatul Ferdous Soumita laid to rest in Pabna Besides, IT & Library Secretary Rashedul Imon Likhan, Social Welfare & Human Development Secretary Ahsan Labib (Bagshash), Co-Social Welfare & Human Development Secretary (Male) Touhid Islam, Co-Social Welfare & Human Development Secretary (Female) Nigar Sultana, Health & Food Security Secretary Husne Mubarak, and Transport & Communication Secretary Tanvir Rahman (all Chhatra Shibir) were elected. Three male and three female executive members were also chosen and they are Tarikul Islam, Abu Talha, Mohammad Ali Chishti, Fabliha Jahan, Nabila Binte Harun and Nusrat Jahan Ema. Shibir-backed panel sweeps DUCSU polls for first time in history The JUCSU election was held for the tenth time, breaking a 33-year dormancy since the last election in 1992, which had become defunct following a tumultuous incident at the Senate building.

Vote counting in Jahangirnagar University (JU) Central Student Union (JUCSU) election concluded 42 hours after the end of balloting. Voting was scheduled to end at 5 pm on Thursday (Sept 11) at the Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall but due to long queues polling continued until 9 pm. The counting of votes finally ended at 2:40 pm. Informal results suggested that the panel backed by Islami Chhatra Shibir is leading in 21 out of 25 positions. Tight races are being reported for four key posts—Vice President (VP), Cultural Affairs Secretary, Sports Secretary and Social Welfare Secretary. Independent candidates are leading in three positions while Bagchas-backed candidate Ahsan Labib is ahead for Social Welfare Secretary. Independent candidate Abdur Rashid Jitu is leading the VP race by a margin of around 800 votes over Shibir-backed Arif Ullah while in the Cultural Secretary race, Jisan Ahmed Jisu is ahead of Shibir panel’s Ali Zaki Shahriar. In the race for Sports Secretary, independent candidate Mahmudul Hasan Kiran is leading against Shibir panel’s Shafiuzzaman Shaheen. Though the BNP-backed panel boycotted the election earlier, their nominated Assistant General Secretary (Women) candidate Anjuman Ara Ikra urged students to accept the results in the greater interest of the student body. JUCSU polls: Official results to be announced by 7pm today She came up with the urge in her facebook post on Friday night. In her post, she wrote, “Regardless of the outcome, we were committed to ensuring fair voting for the students. Despite open irregularities and rigging by the administration, we must accept this verdict for the sake of the students.” She further urged BNP student wing leaders to focus on their mistakes and moving forward. Vote counting of the election began on the night of September 11 after it ended amid allegations of ballot stuffing and administrative bias. A total of 11,743 students were eligible to cast their votes in the election, with turnout reaching around 67-68 percent. A total of eight full and partial panels contested this year’s JUCSU election, though several later pulled out of the race. The panels that boycotted the polls include the BNP-backed Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Sampritir Oikya, Swatantra Angikar Parishad, Songshoptak Parishad, and candidates from the Socialist Student Front. Some independent candidates also withdrew from the election. Among those who stayed in the race were the Jamaat-backed Islami Chhatra Shibir-supported “Combined Students’ Alliance,” the “Student Unity Forum” backed by Ganatantrik Chhatra Sansad, and the independent “Students’ Sammilon” led by former coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Abdur Rashid Jitu.

Results of the long-awaited Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election are expected to be announced between 8pm and 10pm today. The Election Commission member secretary, Prof AKM Rashidul Alam, made the announcement. Vote counting of the election began on the night of September 11. The election ended amid allegations of ballot stuffing and administrative bias. The voting began at 9am on Thursday and was scheduled to end at 5pm. In some centers, voting had ended later than scheduled. As of Friday afternoon, vote counting was still underway. A total of 11,743 students were eligible to cast their votes in the election, with turnout reaching around 67-68 percent. A total of eight full and partial panels contested this year’s JUCSU election, though several later pulled out of the race. Namaz-e-janaza of JU teacher to be held after Jumma prayers The panels that boycotted the polls include the BNP-backed Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, Sampritir Oikya, Swatantra Angikar Parishad, Songshoptak Parishad, and candidates from the Socialist Student Front. Some independent candidates also withdrew from the election. Among those who stayed in the race were the Jamaat-backed Islami Chhatra Shibir-supported “Combined Students’ Alliance,” the “Student Unity Forum” backed by Ganatantrik Chhatra Sansad, and the independent “Students’ Sammilon” led by former coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement, Abdur Rashid Jitu. This year, 177 candidates contested 25 posts in the central union. Nine candidates vied for the position of vice president (VP), while eight competed for the general secretary (GS) post. In the women’s 10 residential halls, 59 out of 150 posts had no candidates, while 67 posts had only one candidate each, resulting in elections being held for just 24 posts. In two of the university’s 21 halls, all candidates were elected unopposed.

Voting for the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) and hall union elections concluded on Thursday afternoon, yet long queues of eager students remained outside several polling centres. Although polling stations were mostly quiet in the morning, turnout picked up steadily after noon. By 2 pm, significant queues had formed at a number of centres, particularly six venues with 1,000 voters each. One first-time voter described the process as festive, saying, “This is our first experience of casting a ballot, and we’re excited to take part in a democratic exercise.” Large crowds were reported at Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall, Hall No. 21 and Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Hall, where more than 200 students gathered at each site. JCD-backed panel boycotts JUCSU polls alleging vote rigging Returning officers said all the voters who joined the queues before the 5 pm deadline would be allowed to cast their ballots, regardless of how long counting might take. As of 5:20 pm, more than 200 students were still waiting outside the Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall centre. Meanwhile, the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD)-backed panel announced a boycott, alleging vote rigging. The panel’s general secretary candidate, Tanzila Hossain Boishakhi, made the announcement at a campus press conference around 3:30 pm.

The Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election has been stayed for the second time, with authorities now setting September 11 as the new date. The announcement came early Friday following a 10-hour meeting chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Kamarul Ahsan, which continued till 4:30am beginning at 7:30 pm on Thursday. At the meeting, students questioned the administration over the delays accusing them of deliberately postponing the election. The administration was also criticised for not taking disciplinary action against the accused in the July uprising In response, the VC sought additional time to complete the judicial process and, after discussions with university officials, announced a revised roadmap for both the disciplinary measures (against accused) and the JUCSU polls. According to the new plan, final verdicts regarding the temporarily suspended Chhatra League members involved in the July attack will be delivered by August 4, with the election schedule to be announced the same day. Final action against faculty members allegedly linked to the attack will be taken by August 31. JUCSU election set for July 31, army to be deployed if needed A new election commission will also be formed as the previous commission has been dissolved following the postponement. The administration said that a fresh election schedule will be announced on August 20, with voting to take place on September 11. In a reaction, Arifuzzaman Uzzal, convenor of the university unit of Bangladesh Democratic Students' Council, said, "The university administration has repeatedly tried to link justice for the July uprising attackers with the JUCSU election. The polls have been deferred several times already, and now it's been delayed again." “Still, we want to place our trust in this administration one last time,” he added. “We hope they will not betray the students like the authoritarian administration of the past.” Previously, the elections were scheduled for May 21 and July 31 but were postponed on both occasions.

After more than three decades of remaining dysfunctional, Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election schedule has finally been announced. Voting will take place on July 31 from 9am to 5pm with vote counting and results announcement on the same day. The authorities said the members of Bangladesh army will be deployed on the campus ahead of the election if needed. Chief Election Commissioner and English Department Prof Dr Moniruzzaman announced the schedule around 1:30am on Thursday at the university’s administrative building council room. Election Commission Secretary and JU Proctor Prof AKM Rashidul Alam, Commission members Prof Dr Md Lutful Elahi of History Department and Prof Rezwana Karim Snigdha of Anthropology Department, among others, were present. According to the schedule, the draft voter list and code of conduct will be published on May 12. Objections to the draft voter list can be submitted until 5pm on May 21 and suggestions on the draft code of conduct can also be submitted by the same date. The final voter list and code of conduct will be published on June 30. Nomination papers can be collected from July 1 and submitted by candidates or their representatives between July 1 and 7. Overwhelming majority of students in favour of DUCSU election by June: Survey The preliminary list of candidates will be released on July 9 after scrutiny and appeals against rejections will be accepted on July 11 with hearings and verdicts scheduled for July 13. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is July 14 followed by the final list of candidates on July 15. Election campaigning will run from July 16 to midnight on July 28 and the list of unopposed winners will also be published on July 16. Dr Moniruzzaman said that voting will proceed on July 31 followed by immediate counting and result declaration. JU Proctor Rashidul Alam said that the campus will be brought under CCTV surveillance to ensure a peaceful and fair election. He added that security personnel would remain vigilant to prevent outsiders from disrupting the environment, urging cooperation from all students. He further said that all necessary steps would be taken for a free and fair election, including seeking assistance from the army if required. Earlier at 11:45pm on Wednesday, Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Kamrul Ahsan held a press briefing in the new administrative building, announcing that the JUCSU and hall union elections would be held simultaneously on July 31 in accordance with Article 8(b) of the JUCSU constitution. Terming the move a ‘historic milestone,’ the VC said, “Students have long been left out of the Senate. With this election, five elected student representatives will have a voice in the university’s decision-making body.” Present at the press conference were Pro-Vice Chancellor (education) Prof Dr Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman, Pro-Vice Chancellor (administration) Prof Sohel Ahmed, Treasurer Prof Dr Abdur Rob, Proctor Dr AKM Rashidul Alam, and other university officials. Earlier on Tuesday, a discussion titled ‘Environment Council:JUCSUElection 2025’ was held at the university’s Senate Hall to assess the electoral atmosphere. DU students submit memorandum demanding DUCSU election roadmap Representatives from various departments, institutes and student organisations attended the meeting. Following the meeting, the university authorities reached a consensus early Wednesday morning to announce the election schedule. The last JUCSU election was held in 1992. Activities were suspended in 1993 following unrest in the syndicate. Since its inception in 1973, the university has held JUCSU elections eight times.