Savar, Sep 10 (V7N) – The long-awaited Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) elections will be held tomorrow, Thursday (Sept 11), after a gap of 33 years. Voting will begin at 8 a.m. and continue until 5 p.m., with about 12,000 students eligible to cast their ballots.

The campaign officially ended yesterday, leaving the campus in a festive mood. The Election Commission has confirmed its readiness to ensure a peaceful and fair election.

This year, 10 candidates are competing for the Vice President (VP) post, though complications remain with one candidate, Amartya Roy. For the General Secretary (GS) position, 9 candidates were initially in the race, but Syeda Ananya Faria withdrew on the final day of campaigning. In addition, 10 candidates are contesting for the Assistant General Secretary (AGS, male) post and 6 candidates for the AGS (female) post. Multiple contenders are also vying for the remaining 21 posts.

Polling will take place across 21 residential halls — 11 for male students and 10 for female students — with 224 booths set up. A total of 134 polling officers and assistants will oversee the process.

Students expressed their determination to vote based on merit rather than political affiliation. One student said, “I will vote taking into account how much work a candidate can do.” Another added, “We will give priority to the individual, not the panel they belong to.”

Professor Dr. Rashedul Alam, Member Secretary of the JUCSU Election Commission, stated, “All 21 polling stations will be monitored from the central monitoring room. We have taken necessary measures to ensure that no external force disrupts the polls.”

For security, at least 1,200 police officers along with other law enforcement agencies will be deployed. Special security measures have also been placed at all 12 entry gates of the university.

After voting concludes, ballots will be counted at the Senate Hall of the old register building. The commission has requested that female journalists cover the women’s polling stations.

The JUCSU elections, once a historic fixture of student politics in Bangladesh, are now set to return after more than three decades — with high expectations from the student body for a revival of representative politics on campus.

END/SMA/AJ