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Published : 13 Sep 2025, 12:00 PM
Forty-two hours have passed since voting in the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election ended, but the wait for results looks set to continue for a few more hours yet.
Shortly before 11am on Saturday, Election Commissioner Prof Lutful Elahi said that counting had been completed in 15 of the 21 halls. He added that three more would be finished within half an hour, and they hoped to announce the results by 1:30pm or 2pm.
On Friday evening, Chief Election Commissioner Prof Md Moniruzzaman had told reporters at the university’s Senate building that results would be declared by the end of the night.
But a visit to the Senate building on Saturday morning showed that even after a night of non-stop counting, the process was still ongoing.
Voting began across 21 halls of the 12,000-strong campus at 9am on Thursday. Polls in most halls closed by 5pm, but long queues meant voting continued until 7:30pm in two or three.
Counting began under tight security at the Senate building after 10pm that night. Officials said turnout was around 68 percent.
The main disruption came when the authorities abruptly decided to switch from machine-based to manual vote counting after allegations surfaced that ballot papers and OMR machines had been supplied by a company linked to Jamaat-e-Islami. This decision plunged the process into chaos.
A returning officer had said on Friday that about 8,000 students had voted, each casting three ballots for the central union. This meant that nearly 24,000 ballots needed to be counted.
Counting for the hall unions finished on Friday evening. JUCSU counting began at 8pm that night, but 15 hours later, the commission was still unable to complete the tally of those 24,000 ballots.
COMPLAINTS AND WITHDRAWALS
The polls have been marred by complaints from various panels and candidates about irregularities.
Among the allegations were ballot papers exceeding the number of voters, rivals breaching the code of conduct, ballot papers and OMR machines supplied by a Jamaat-e-Islami-linked company, polling agents blocked from entering despite clearance, drug test results not released, and attempts to “manipulate” the election.
Amid the disputes, five panels and several independents announced their withdrawal. Four teachers on duty, including one election commissioner, also pulled out. BNP-leaning teachers later demanded the entire election be annulled.
By contrast, Islami Chhatra Shibir dismissed the withdrawals as “a kind of fraud dressed as retreat”. They insisted they would not boycott the contest despite the allegations.
Candidates and panels who withdrew were no longer seen at the counting process, with many leaving the campus altogether.
The process was overshadowed by the sudden death of Jannatul Ferdous, assistant professor of fine arts, who collapsed while on duty at the Senate building on Friday morning.
Her passing after days of work left colleagues in mourning and further dampened the mood among staff continuing the count.
COUNTING FRUSTRATIONS
By Friday evening, after the votes from all 21 halls had been tallied, polling agents were summoned to the Senate Building to begin counting the JUCSU ballots.
Students, including candidates, panel supporters, and many curious onlookers, gathered outside late into the night, irritated by the delays.
Speaking around 9pm on Friday, philosophy student Anisuzzaman Sani blamed the change in counting method.
“The main reason for the delay is that at first, votes were supposed to be counted by machine. But under pressure from Chhatra Dal and some other candidates, the decision was made to count them by hand."
“The administration was not prepared for manual counting. As a result, it took them on average over an hour just to count the ballots from each hall. If they had been prepared, they would have increased manpower.”
Sajib Ahmed Jenich, a candidate for central joint general secretary (male), was more scathing.
“They spent millions of taka to buy counting machines but still cannot use them, citing various complaints. Everything seems planned. The administration has shamelessly created these problems to benefit one group.
“The party affiliation of those who supplied the OMR machines has come to light. When Chhatra Dal and others raised objections, the administration decided to move all the counting to the Senate building. This was nothing but a sign of the administration’s incompetence and the commission’s incapacity. And it is this decision that has caused the huge delay.”
Another student, Tahsin Mahmud, called the delay “very unfortunate”.
“If it takes this long for a student union election at a university like Jahangirnagar, it is truly sad. DUCSU was held after six years and they were prepared. Here, after nearly 33 years, it is clear that the university administration was not properly prepared.”
