Voting in the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (Jucsu) election began at 9am on Thursday (September 11), marking the return of the long-awaited polls after more than three decades. The election is being held across 21 residential halls and will continue until 5pm.

Long queues formed outside polling booths from early morning, with female students turning out in significant numbers. University authorities said voting has so far remained peaceful, with stringent security measures in place.

A four-tier security system has been deployed, involving police, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and Ansar. Around 2,000 police members, including 1,200 positioned outside the campus, are on duty alongside specialized units and plainclothes detectives. BNCC, Rover Scouts, and Red Crescent volunteers are assisting in crowd management. Entry to the campus has been restricted since Wednesday night.

“We have ensured 100% security during the Jucsu polls,” said Dhaka Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime) Arafat Islam. To strengthen oversight, 80 CCTV cameras have been installed across polling centers.

Chief Election Commissioner Prof Md Moniruzzaman said 224 booths have been set up in residential halls for the convenience of voters. A total of 11,919 students—6,102 male and 5,817 female—are eligible to cast ballots. Each voter will vote for 25 central posts and 15 hall union posts. At two female halls, candidates for union posts were elected unopposed, so only central ballots are being cast there.

This year, 177 candidates are contesting for 25 central positions, with eight major panels and several independents in the fray. Among the panels are those backed by BNP, Islami Chhatra Shibir, and left-leaning student bodies.

Ballot boxes will be sealed at the close of voting before counting begins, a process expected to take three to four hours.

MN/