United News of Bangladesh

Newly elected General Secretary (GS) of Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU), Mazharul Islam, backed by the Shibir-supported ‘Coordinated Student Alliance,’ has pledged to work toward creating a student-friendly campus environment. “If we can fulfill our responsibilities properly, then we will achieve true success,” he told reporters after the JUCSU election results were announced on Saturday evening. Mazharul said he is committed to working for the welfare of students and the overall development of the campus, regardless of political affiliation. “We want to work together for the development of students and the campus environment, irrespective of political identity,” he said, seeking cooperation from all students. He also urged those who were not elected to join hands with the newly elected representatives in the ongoing struggle for student rights. The Shibir-backed panel bagged 20 of the 25 seats in the central council, including the top three positions amid cheers and controversy on the campus. Meanwhile, the independent contender Abdur Rashid Zitu clinched the VP post. From DUCSU to JUCSU: Shibir’s winning streak rolls on 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). 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. JUCSU Polls: Independent Abdur Rashid grabs VP, Shibir’s Mazhar bags GS 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.

Voting at Hall No 15 (previously known as  Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall) polling centre resumed around 1:30 pm on Thursday after a two-hour suspension following allegations of vote rigging during Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) elections. Students said polling at the hall was suspended around 12 pm after Sheikh Sadi Hasan, vice-president (VP) candidate backed by Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD), along with 7–8 activists, allegedly stormed the centre and forced female candidates out. JUCSU: Voting suspended at Fazilatunnesa Mujib Hall Chief Election Commissioner Prof Maniruzzaman said voting was stopped in response to demands from other candidates after they protested against the incident. Balloting for the long-awaited JUCSU elections began at 9 am and is scheduled to continue until 5 pm.

Jahangirnagar University, the highest-ranked university from Bangladesh for three years in a row (2023-25) in the prestigious Times Higher Education World University Rankings, is about to hold elections to its central students’ union (JUCSU) on Thursday - the first time since 1992. In anticipation, JU's beautiful, sprawling  campus in Savar, popular with birdwatchers, has come alive ahead of the polls, even as concerns have arisen over security due to some reportedly unrestricted movement of outsiders. Concerns over Security Our JU correspondent reports outsiders are indeed entering the campus using several entrances at night. Some of them are even said to be conducting unspecified drills in different areas. Students have alleged that while there are ongoing violations of the code of conduct by some candidates, the administration has remained silent. JUCSU EC cancels candidacy of VP candidate Amartya Roy As a result, students express concerns over the security arrangements on election day. According to the university sources, a total of 11,919 voters are eligible to cast their votes in this year’s election. A total of 178 candidates are contesting for 25 posts of JUCSU. The university administration has decided to deploy 1,200 police personnel across the campus on polling day. When contacted, Jahangirnagar University Proctor and Secretary of the Election Commission, Professor Rashidul Alam, said, “On the election day, we will deploy 1,200 police personnel to ensure security, many of whom will be in plainclothes.” He added, “Since Jahangirnagar University is located outside the city and surrounded by rural areas, the army will also be on standby as a rapid response force. In addition, we have coordinated with the local community, who have assured their cooperation." Rules violations rife on campus Students have reported easy access to drugs across the campus, including at popular hangout spots— Tarzan Point, Sydney Field, Rangamati, Shantiniketan, Sundarbans, Monpura, and the residential halls. JUCSU's JCD-backed panel unveils its manifesto Many students allege that some candidates are secretly distributing marijuana, alcohol, and other drugs to influence voters during the election. Several have criticized the practice on social media. Md. Shakil Ali, a candidate for the General Secretary (GS) position from an independent panel, said, “Various halls are seeing the supply of alcohol and other intoxicants, which is not only a violation of the election code of conduct but also against university and national laws. Additionally, candidates from different panels are distributing biryani in violation of the code of conduct, taking voters to canteens to feed them. We fear these actions are completely against a fair election.” Sohagi Samia, a joint general secretary candidate of the ‘Sangsaptak Parishad’ panel, alleged that candidates are also distributing money during the election. She said, “After the mass uprising, we expected all candidates to follow the election code of conduct. But many are violating the rules by distributing drugs and biryani packets.” She added, “Money is being used to influence votes. Many are trying to buy votes, which is a clear violation of the election code of conduct. Similar irregularities were seen in pre-August 5 elections, and we are witnessing them again.” Candidates from different panels are spending money on distributing leaflets, online campaigns, biryani events, and other treats. As a result, eateries across campus, including Bottola’s Kitchen, Taj Mahal Hotel, Banglar Swad, and Nurjahan, are experiencing higher crowds than usual. Election spending by candidates has exceeded the JUCSU Code, alleged c their rival candidates. According to Article 17(b) of the JUCSU election code of conduct, any candidate found spending beyond the prescribed limit to influence voters shall be disqualified. However, the JUCSU Election Commission and university administration have reportedly taken no steps to curb such excessive spending. In many cases, even when complaints were lodged with the authorities, they allegedly tried to ignore the issues. Nazmul Islam, a candidate for Joint General Secretary from the Swatantra Angikar Parishad Panel, said, “Such unchecked spending clearly violates the election code of conduct. Many candidates are ignoring the rules, and the administration’s indifference in this regard is highly concerning.” Independent GS candidate withdraws late Syeda Anannya Faria, an independent candidate for the General Secretary (GS) post and member of the Chhatra Dal (JCD) convening committee, has withdrawn from the JUCSU election at the last moment. Anannya had announced her independent candidacy for the GS post on August 28, citing undervaluation in the JCD panel. Although she was later asked to withdraw her candidacy, she did not do so at that time. Yesterday (Sept 9) afternoon, she officially announced her decision to step down from the race. Talking to UNB about her decision, Anannya said, “Some time ago, I had decided to contest the election separately for a certain reason. However, now I want to call for a united front. That is why I have decided to withdraw from the election.” VP candidate’s candidacy scrapped The Appellate Division on Sunday stayed the High Court order allowing Amartya Ray, vice president (VP) candidate of the Sampriti-supported Unity panel backed by Chhatra Union, to participate in the JUCSU election for eight weeks. The order came after the Appellate Division’s Chamber Justice M. Rezaul Haque heard the university authorities’ petition seeking a stay on the High Court directive. Earlier, following a writ petition, the High Court had issued a rule and allowed Amartya Ray to contest the election. The court had also stayed the university’s September 6 decision to cancel his candidacy. Subsequently, the university authorities appealed to the Appellate Division to suspend the High Court order, which led to a fresh hearing. Lawyer Mohammad Shishir Monir represented Jahangirnagar University, while Amartya’s case was argued by lawyer Manzur Al Matin. Commenting on the matter, Jahangirnagar University Vice-Chancellor Professor Kamrul Ahsan said, “This is a court verdict. We cannot change it on our own. However, I hope a solution can be found and I seek advice on how it can be resolved.” Confusion over dope test On the last day of campaigning, mandatory dope tests for candidates triggered widespread discussion. Sample collection for central and hall council candidates began on Tuesday from 9:30am and continued till 6pm. While candidates welcomed the mandatory dope test decision, many criticized the Election Commission for implementing it just ten days after the final candidate list was published and only two days before the election, calling it a short-sighted move. Due to the inability to complete the tests by the end of the campaign period on September 9, the deadline was extended by a day to today, September 10. However, students have alleged that a large number of candidates will still be unable to undergo the dope test.