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Published : 13 Sep 2025, 09:42 AM
The results of the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) election remain elusive more than 40 hours after voting ended, with the Election Commission still unable to provide a clear timeline for an announcement.
At the Senate building, ballot counting continued non-stop through the night and into Saturday morning.
According to the Election Commission’s latest update, counting has been completed in 14 halls, with another seven still left to go.
This has already dashed the expectation voiced by the chief election commissioner on Friday that results would be declared by the end of the night.
No fresh timetable has been issued by the commission. But simple arithmetic suggests that if the current pace continues, the results may not be known until later in the afternoon.
A PROTRACTED PROCESS
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 heavy security at the Senate building after 10pm that night. Officials said turnout reached nearly 68 percent.
One returning officer said on Friday that about 8,000 students had voted, each casting three ballots for the central union. “That means nearly 24,000 ballots must be counted,” he said.
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.”
