JUCSU election scheduled after 33 years amid tension and uncertainty

Worries and concerns linger among students and teachers as the Jahangirnagar University Central Students Union (JUCSU) gears up for polls on Jul 31 after over three decades of waiting and protests.

Everyone want the election to be held, but has set different "conditions" for the polls and is unwilling to yield on their demands.

Experts say the future of the 10th JUCSU depends on whether the administration can hold a proper election, resolving or avoiding the differences of opinion of the active student organisations.

Some students believe that the issue of the "trial of Awami League associates" emerging after the government was toppled on Aug 5 by the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, has been linked to the election, adding further complications.

After the schedule and election date were postponed twice, students are now "in doubt" about the voting day set for Jul 31.

Over six weeks have passed since the schedule was announced, but active student organisations are not showing any particular enthusiasm for the elections. However, student leaders say they are preparing internally.

The uncertainty regarding the JUCSU elections is also evident in the statement by Prof Mafruhi Sattar, a member of the Election Commission and dean of the Faculty of Biology.

Expressing concern over the "fascist-era setup" in the administration, even in the residential halls, he said: "We are facing a big challenge in holding the elections on time."

Asked whast challenges lie ahead, the educator said: "Since elections were not held for three decades, it is evident that everyone today is inexperienced in this matter. It is difficult to conduct JUCSU elections with this inexperience. In addition, there is little tolerance among our teachers and students."

However, Proctor Rashidul Alam, who is also a member of the Election Commission, believes that it is "possible" to hold the election.

He says, "There a suitable environment for holding the election. Everything is improving. With the cooperation of all, we can hold the election on the scheduled day in a festive environment."

A LONG-AWAITED ROADMAP

The university authorities had backed out twice from announcing the JUCSU election roadmap following the political changeover on Aug 5. The authorities eventually presented a roadmap for the JUCSU election on Dec 30 last year in the face of a strong student protests. Subsequently, a draft voter list was published on Jan 10.

The authorities also met Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus on Jan 13 regarding the matter. After the meeting, Vice Chancellor Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan told the media that the election schedule would be announced on Feb 1, as per the roadmap. However, authorities were unable to announce the schedule on that day for various reasons.

Without announcing the schedule, the authorities announced a tentative date of the elections. Accordingly, the election was to be held in the third week of May. The tentative schedule announcement day was likely to be 21 days before the voting day - April 30.

The authorities eventually announced the election schedule on Apr 30, but voting day was pushed back to Jul 31.

As part of its preparatory work, the authorities have published a draft voter list and formed a council to oversee the polls envrionment. Amendments and overhauls were made to the constitution based on the opinions of the stakeholders sought through a series of opinion-sharing meetings at residential halls.

JUCSU MURDERS

The first JUCSU election was held in 1972. Golam Morshed was the first elected vice president of JUCSU, and Rokon Uddin was elected general secretary. The vice president was not directly affiliated with any political party, but the general secretary was a Chhatra League member.

The last election was held on Jul 6, 1992 under the BNP government. Masud Hasan Talukder was elected as the vice president and Shamsul Tabriz as the general secretary. Both of them were members of Chhatra Dal, the student wing of the BNP.

Two of the nine elected vice presidents and general secretaries of JUCSU were assassinated while in office - Rokonuddin and Mozammel Haque, the general secretary elected in 1973.

A library called "Rokon Memorial Library" is situated in front of the university's old Faculty of Arts building, named after the first general secretary, who was a member of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and Chhatra League. It is controlled by a section of the Samajtantrik Chhatra Front.

Nurul Haque, a student of the first batch of the Department of Economics who later became a professor in the same department, said: "Golam Morshed Bhai, who was elected JUCSU VP in 1972, was not engaged in politics. But he had a leaning towards leftist politics. Rokonuddin was directly involved in JaSaD and Chhatra League."

"While Rokonuddin was the GS, he once travelled from Dhaka to Narayanganj on a motorcycle. An assailant shot him dead in Chashara, Narayanganj. His body was recovered from there."

Nurul Haque himself was a Chhatra Union candidate for the general secretary post in the JUCSU election in 1973.

Recalling that election, he said: "Mozammel Haque, a member of the Mujibbadi Chhatra League, won the general secretary post in the second JUCSU election. He too, was murdered while in office. He was shot through the window of his room in the Al Beruni Hall."

"Witnesses said that the killers were heard chanting slogans for the Sarbahara Party as they left."

THE JUCSU POLL WINNERS

1972- VP- Golam Morshed, GS- Rokon Uddin

1973- VP- Rafiq Ullah, GS- Mozammel Haque

1974- VP- MA Jalil, GS- Dolowar Hossain

1980- VP- Azad Rahman, GS- Ataur Rahman

1981- VP- Motahar Hossain, GS- Shamsuddin Masud

1989- VP-A KM Enamul Haque Shamim, GS- Azizul Hasan Chowdhury

1990- VP- Ashraf Uddin Khan, GS- Md. Azgar Hossain

1991- VP- Md. Moniruzzaman Monir, GS- KM Rashedul Hasan

1992- VP- Masud Hasan Talukder, GS- Shamsul Tabriz