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Published : 30 Aug 2025, 10:47 PM
For the first time in 33 years, campaigning for the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) elections has begun, with candidates reaching out to voters across a rain-drenched campus.
Despite the less-than-ideal conditions, students have taken to the campus with resilience, making their case to the electorate before the polls on Sept 11.
With the university closed on Saturday due to the weekend, the campus saw fewer students, but that did not deter the candidates from campaigning.
On Friday afternoon, the election commission released the final list of candidates, revealing that 17 people have thrown their hats into the ring for 25 central positions in the JUCSU.
Of the 150 posts available in 10 female halls, only 34 require elections. Interestingly, 58 positions will be uncontested, with no challengers, leaving these positions vacant.
In the male halls, 316 candidates are competing for 165 posts. However, 61 positions in these halls will also be filled without competition, as no other candidates have stood for those positions, while seven posts remain vacant due to a lack of nominees.
Thus, elections will only be held for 97 positions in the male halls.
Before the final list was announced, several political groups had already unveiled their panels.
Others followed suit, making their announcements on Friday and Saturday.
According to the election schedule, campaigning officially began on Saturday morning, with candidates making the rounds despite the rain.
The rain did not dampen the enthusiasm of candidates, including members of the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, who took to the campus to rally support for their panel.
By around 2:30pm, Chatra Dal panel’s vice-president (VP) candidate Md Sheikh Sadi Hasan, general secretary (GS) candidate Tanzila Hossain Boishakhi, and several others were seen campaigning in the Bottola area.
“We’ve officially started our campaign [on Saturday], and the response has been incredible,” said Sadi. “The students are with us, and we’re optimistic that we’ll win.”
“Since our campus is so large, we plan to organise group campaigns to reach every student,” he added.
Mahmudul Hasan Kiran, an independent candidate for JUCSU's sports secretary post, was also seen campaigning. "I’m due to fly to Malaysia on the 7th of September to join the national futsal team. Time is limited, so despite the adverse weather, I’m out here campaigning.
“The positive response from the students has been incredibly motivating.”
When asked about the election atmosphere, Mahbubul Hasan Maruf, a student from the Information Technology Institute and a JUCSU voter, said: “Even though this is the first JUCSU election in 33 years, the enthusiasm among the students is quite low. The administration has failed to provide a level playing field, and issues such as ID card renewals are making students less interested in the process. If the administration addresses these issues quickly, student interest might increase.”
"While [Dhaka University Central Students’ Union] is getting extensive media coverage, JUCSU isn’t receiving as much attention. As a student, I just want the elected representatives to work for our welfare, and to ensure that problematic campus cultures like communal rooms or guest room practices don’t return,” he added.
Another student, Azizul Hakim Joy, feels that JUCSU has lost its former allure. “I’ve seen some candidates start campaigning earlier than usual, but now it seems less visible. It’s clear that both the candidates and the voters are losing interest.
“More candidates are focusing on social media like Facebook, which reduces the amount of personal campaigning. This could be one of the reasons the campaign lacks energy,” he said.
