JUCSU Election: Voting in 224 Booths, 1,200 Police Deployed for Security

The Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JUCSU) and hall union elections will see voting conducted across 224 booths in the university’s 21 residential halls, with approximately 1,200 police personnel deployed to ensure overall security, according to the Election Commission. The voting is scheduled to take place tomorrow, September 11, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. Chief Election Commissioner Professor Md. Moniruzzaman confirmed these arrangements late Tuesday night, stating that the commission will implement special measures at the university’s 12 entry gates and across the campus. From Wednesday afternoon (September 10) through the election day, around 1,200 police officers, both in uniform and plainclothes, will be stationed at designated locations on campus, operating under the guidance of the Election Commission. The university’s own security force will oversee the polling centres and halls, with two magistrates also assigned to maintain order.

Professor Moniruzzaman further revealed that a request has been sent to the army via the Dhaka district administration to serve as a striking force. The army will be positioned outside the university and will act on the Election Commission’s advice if needed, though no confirmation has been received from the army as yet. The voting process will cover 21 halls—10 for female students and 11 for male students—with each polling centre supervised by one returning officer, 67 polling officers, and 67 assistant polling officers. Voters will cast their ballots across 40 separate ballots for the central and hall unions, with votes counted using a special Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) machine. The commission will monitor the voting process from the Senate Hall via a large screen, and arrangements will be made to display hourly vote updates on monitors at several campus locations. Voters will mark their choices on OMR ballots, with detailed instructions to be shared via a video on the university’s website and the public relations office’s Facebook page.

A total of 178 candidates have received final approval to contest various posts in the JUCSU election, including nine for Vice President (VP) and nine for General Secretary (GS). Additionally, six candidates will compete for the Joint General Secretary (Female) post, and 10 for the Joint General Secretary (Male) post. The robust security measures and meticulous planning underscore the university’s commitment to ensuring a smooth and fair election process after a 33-year hiatus.