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Voting in the Jagannath University Central Students’ Union (JnUCSU) and Hall Students’ Union elections began on Tuesday in a festive and peaceful atmosphere.
Polling started at around 9:00 am and will continue uninterrupted until 3:30 pm.
Students began casting their votes in the morning, marking a significant day in campus politics. Long queues were seen in front of the polling centres.
This is the first time such elections are being held since Jagannath University was established as a university.
A total of 16,500 students are expected to cast their votes at 178 booths across 39 polling centres.
Besides, 1,242 students will exercise their voting rights in the hall students’ union, according to a UNB report.
According to the Election Commission, 39 polling centres have been set up with 178 booths. Of these, 38 centres are designated for the central students’ union, while one separate centre has been allocated for the hall parliament.
Law enforcement agencies and volunteer teams have been deployed alongside the university administration to maintain security.
Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Md Rezaul Karim said, “The university administration has taken all necessary measures to ensure that the long-awaited JnUCSU election is conducted in a free, fair and impartial manner. This election is extremely important for fostering a democratic environment and leadership development at the university. I hope voters will exercise their voting rights in a disciplined manner in a festive atmosphere.”
University Proctor Prof Dr Muhammad Tazammul Haque said adequate security measures have been taken in connection with the elections and expressed hope that these measures would remain in place until polling concludes.
According to the list published on the website, there are four candidates for the Liberation War and Democracy post, nine for Education and Research, five for Science and Technology, five for Health and Environment, four for Law and Human Rights, eight for International Affairs, seven for Literature and Culture, seven for Sports, four for Transport, ten for Social Service and Student Welfare, seven for Library and Seminar, and 57 candidates competing for seven member posts.
In the women’s hall, a preliminary list of candidates has been published for 13 posts. These include three candidates for Vice-President (VP), three for General Secretary (GS), two for Assistant General Secretary (AGS), two for Literature and Publication Secretary, four for Culture Secretary, two for Library Secretary, two for Sports Secretary, three for Social Service and Student Welfare Secretary, four for Health and Environment Secretary, and eight candidates competing for four member posts.
The JnUCSU election was originally scheduled to be held on December 30 but was postponed following the demise of former Prime Minister and BNP Chairperson Begum Khaleda Zia.