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Published : 30 Jun 2025, 12:45 AM
Jahangirnagar University authorities have suspended the previously announced schedule for elections to the long-stalled central student union, JUCSU, following pressure from student protests amid unresolved tensions over accountability for last year’s campus violence.
The university’s Public Relations Office made the announcement at 9:20pm on Saturday via Facebook, saying the election schedule, initially declared on Apr 30 and most recently set for Jul 31, has been put on hold.
A statement signed by all five members of the election commission cited a letter from JU Vice-Chancellor Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan, who also serves as JUCSU president, as the reason for the decision.
The commission’s meeting earlier in the day resolved to suspend the schedule in line with the vice-chancellor’s letter, it said.
The announcement added that new dates for the JUCSU and hall union polls would be announced “in due course”.
Commission member Mafruhi Sattar said, “In a meeting on Jun 26, the vice-chancellor discussed pushing back the election date.
“Following talks with various stakeholders, a formal letter requesting the deferment was sent to us. That’s why we decided to suspend the schedule today. But a fresh schedule will be declared in due time.”
“Since the VC is JUCSU president, the constitution allows him to determine the date,” she added.
Ever since the university announced JUCSU elections after a 33-year gap driven by months of student protests, doubts had lingered among both students and faculty about whether the polls would take place on the scheduled date.
Those fears were seemingly confirmed in a stakeholder meeting held Thursday, Jun 26, when hints were dropped that a delay was likely.
Speaking on Saturday night, VC Kamrul said: “We had hoped to complete judicial proceedings and hold the election within July. But due to various obstacles, we couldn’t make that happen. We now need more time. For now, the election will be pushed to September.”
He claimed the deferment had consensus support among stakeholders.
Despite major student organisations reportedly reaching a consensus on the importance of holding the election, the delay has reignited concerns on campus.
Touhid Siam, member secretary of the Bangladesh Democratic Student Council at JU, said: “After the uprising, this administration hasn’t fulfilled a single promise. Chief among them were justice [for the violence] and JUCSU.
“Both have faced multiple delays. Our trust in the administration is steadily eroding, especially over its questionable role in justice.”
“At Thursday’s meeting, the administration requested a final opportunity to conclude judicial proceedings. We agreed, but this is the last time. Either they deliver both justice and JUCSU, or they will be gone. Otherwise, we’ll take it to the next phase of our one-point demand.”
The current turmoil dates back to the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, which brought up the demand to try alleged perpetrators aligned with the ruling Awami League.
The university administration eventually unveiled a roadmap for JUCSU elections on Dec 30, under pressure from the students.
On Jan 10, a draft voter list was published. Then, on Jan 13, the VC met with the Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus and later said the election schedule would be declared on Feb 1.
But the date came and went with no schedule.
Later, the university floated May’s third week as a potential election window, with the formal schedule to be announced Apr 30—21 days before voting. However, the date selected for the election was Jul 31, not May 21 as initially expected.
Now that Jul 31 has also been deferred, frustration among students is mounting once again.
