JUCSU election scheduled after 33 years amid tension and uncertainty

Worries and concerns linger among students and teachers as the Jahangirnagar University Central Students Union (JUCSU) gears up for polls on Jul 31 after over three decades of waiting and protests.

Everyone want the election to be held, but has set different "conditions" for the polls and is unwilling to yield on their demands.

Experts say the future of the 10th JUCSU depends on whether the administration can hold a proper election, resolving or avoiding the differences of opinion of the active student organisations.

Some students believe that the issue of the "trial of Awami League associates" emerging after the government was toppled on Aug 5 by the Anti-discrimination Student Movement, has been linked to the election, adding further complications.

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After the schedule and election date were postponed twice, students are now "in doubt" about the voting day set for Jul 31.

Over six weeks have passed since the schedule was announced, but active student organisations are not showing any particular enthusiasm for the elections. However, student leaders say they are preparing internally.

The uncertainty regarding the JUCSU elections is also evident in the statement by Prof Mafruhi Sattar, a member of the Election Commission and dean of the Faculty of Biology.

Expressing concern over the "fascist-era setup" in the administration, even in the residential halls, he said: "We are facing a big challenge in holding the elections on time."

Asked whast challenges lie ahead, the educator said: "Since elections were not held for three decades, it is evident that everyone today is inexperienced in this matter. It is difficult to conduct JUCSU elections with this inexperience. In addition, there is little tolerance among our teachers and students."

However, Proctor Rashidul Alam, who is also a member of the Election Commission, believes that it is "possible" to hold the election.

He says, "There a suitable environment for holding the election. Everything is improving. With the cooperation of all, we can hold the election on the scheduled day in a festive environment."

A LONG-AWAITED ROADMAP

The university authorities had backed out twice from announcing the JUCSU election roadmap following the political changeover on Aug 5. The authorities eventually presented a roadmap for the JUCSU election on Dec 30 last year in the face of a strong student protests. Subsequently, a draft voter list was published on Jan 10.

The authorities also met Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus on Jan 13 regarding the matter. After the meeting, Vice Chancellor Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan told the media that the election schedule would be announced on Feb 1, as per the roadmap. However, authorities were unable to announce the schedule on that day for various reasons.

Without announcing the schedule, the authorities announced a tentative date of the elections. Accordingly, the election was to be held in the third week of May. The tentative schedule announcement day was likely to be 21 days before the voting day - April 30.

The authorities eventually announced the election schedule on Apr 30, but voting day was pushed back to Jul 31.

As part of its preparatory work, the authorities have published a draft voter list and formed a council to oversee the polls envrionment. Amendments and overhauls were made to the constitution based on the opinions of the stakeholders sought through a series of opinion-sharing meetings at residential halls.

JUCSU MURDERS

The first JUCSU election was held in 1972. Golam Morshed was the first elected vice president of JUCSU, and Rokon Uddin was elected general secretary. The vice president was not directly affiliated with any political party, but the general secretary was a Chhatra League member.

The last election was held on Jul 6, 1992 under the BNP government. Masud Hasan Talukder was elected as the vice president and Shamsul Tabriz as the general secretary. Both of them were members of Chhatra Dal, the student wing of the BNP.

Two of the nine elected vice presidents and general secretaries of JUCSU were assassinated while in office - Rokonuddin and Mozammel Haque, the general secretary elected in 1973.

A library called "Rokon Memorial Library" is situated in front of the university's old Faculty of Arts building, named after the first general secretary, who was a member of the Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal and Chhatra League. It is controlled by a section of the Samajtantrik Chhatra Front.

Nurul Haque, a student of the first batch of the Department of Economics who later became a professor in the same department, said: "Golam Morshed Bhai, who was elected JUCSU VP in 1972, was not engaged in politics. But he had a leaning towards leftist politics. Rokonuddin was directly involved in JaSaD and Chhatra League."

"While Rokonuddin was the GS, he once travelled from Dhaka to Narayanganj on a motorcycle. An assailant shot him dead in Chashara, Narayanganj. His body was recovered from there."

Nurul Haque himself was a Chhatra Union candidate for the general secretary post in the JUCSU election in 1973.

Recalling that election, he said: "Mozammel Haque, a member of the Mujibbadi Chhatra League, won the general secretary post in the second JUCSU election. He too, was murdered while in office. He was shot through the window of his room in the Al Beruni Hall."

"Witnesses said that the killers were heard chanting slogans for the Sarbahara Party as they left."

THE JUCSU POLL WINNERS

1972- VP- Golam Morshed, GS- Rokon Uddin

1973- VP- Rafiq Ullah, GS- Mozammel Haque

1974- VP- MA Jalil, GS- Dolowar Hossain

1980- VP- Azad Rahman, GS- Ataur Rahman

1981- VP- Motahar Hossain, GS- Shamsuddin Masud

1989- VP-A KM Enamul Haque Shamim, GS- Azizul Hasan Chowdhury

1990- VP- Ashraf Uddin Khan, GS- Md. Azgar Hossain

1991- VP- Md. Moniruzzaman Monir, GS- KM Rashedul Hasan

1992- VP- Masud Hasan Talukder, GS- Shamsul Tabriz

DUAL DEMANDS FOR ELECTIONS, TRIALS

After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on Aug 5, a demand for the prosecution of the "associates of the Awami League oppressors" was raised by active student organisations.

Almost every organisation agreed with the demand for the prosecution of the "beneficiaries of autocracy" within the administration because they believe, it is challenging to hold elections “while maintaining the setup of the previous government” within the administration.

However, active student organisations have different opinions that included trials before elections, simultaneous polls and trials, and objections raised against Islami Chhatra Shibir.

Among them, Chhatra Dal believes that a neutral and acceptable election with everyone’s participation is not possible unless the trial is held before the JUCSU election.

Though they also want an election, the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement wants to see the trial process completed before one is held.

However, Islami Chhatra Shibir and a faction of the Chhatra Union (Amartya) say that the election and trial can be held simultaneously.

Jahangirnagar University Chhatra Dal convener Zahir Uddin Mohammad Babar said, “Chhatra Dal has a huge demand for the JUCSU election. Chhatra Dal is taking all kinds of preparations to contest the election. We have already completed the draft list for the JUCSU and Hall Council elections.”

He said, “The administration has yet to bring the terrorist organisation Chhatra League, which attacked ordinary students staging protests in July-August, and the supporters of fascism who supported that attack, to trial. Leaders and activists directly involved in Chhatra League politics are still present in the university halls.”

“Teachers, officials and employees associated with the fascists are still occupying important positions in the administration. In this situation, we believe that a neutral and acceptable election with universal participation is impossible.”

Abdur Rashid Jitu, former central coordinator of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement and convener of the Gono Avuthyan Rokkha Andolon, said: “The election schedule is undoubtedly positive and commendable. However, we believe that it is very important to bring all the teachers, students, officials and employees involved in the July attack incidents to justice before the election. Further investigation into these judicial processes is ongoing. We expect that the investigation will be completed by June and institutional and judicial proceedings will be completed against the offenders.”

He said, “We believe that the probe panel will complete its activities as per the deadline and the administration will complete the remaining tasks on a priority basis to organise the JUCSU elections smoothly. We want the JUCSU election to be held. However, before that, we definitely want to see the judicial proceedings completed to ensure a peaceful environment in the university.”

Mustafizur Rahman, secretary of the JnU wing of the Islami Chhatra Shibir, said: “The JUCSU (election) and the judicial process can go hand in hand. Both are important. The punishments under the jurisdiction of the administration should be implemented quickly. Otherwise, it will be seen as a plan to foil the election.”

Amartya Roy, president of a faction of the Chhatra Union JnU Council, said: “We do not want the JUCSU election and the trial to be posed against each other. If the trial of the July Uprising attacks go slow, then JUCSU will not be effective. We want the two tasks to be done together, giving priority to JUCSU as the election is being held after 33 years. These two can’t be dependent on each other. The election should be held on the scheduled date.”

Sajib Ahmed, organiser of the JnU wing of the Chhatra Front, said: “It is important that the trial of the July murders is completed. We have urged the administration to organise the JUCSU election and complete the trial process simultaneously.”

"Since the election is on Jul 31, the administration will have plenty of time to try the July murders before the election. Therefore, we expect that the trial process will be completed before the election. The JUCSU election is largely dependent on the fair organisation and completion of the trial process. I think it is possible to do both tasks at the same time."

When asked if the trial could be completed before the JUCSU elections, VC Ahsan, who is also heading the structural committee on the trial process, said: "We are trying our best to complete the trial process before the JUCSU elections. We have told the students (we are hoping to get it done) by June. We have also told them that it would have been better if we had more time to complete the trial process. Even then, our efforts will continue."

Asked what would happen if the trial could not be completed by June, he said: "If necessary, we will consult all stakeholders again and make a decision."

OBJECTIONS AGAINST SHIBIR

There were disagreements among the student organisations since roadmap for the JUCSU elections was announced. Even as the election approached, those disagreements did not ease.

For example, at the Apr 29 meeting of the Environment Council, Soma Dumri, organiser of the Biplobi Chhatra Maitree, and Sohagi Samia, organiser of a section of the Chhatra Front, walked out of the meeting due to the presence of the Islami Chhatra Shibir.

Also, Faiza Mahjabin, president of a faction of the Jahangirnagar Sangkritik Jote, said at that meeting that if Shibir were present in the elections, they would have objections to it.

DOUBT

Oindrila Majumder Orna, a drama and dramatics student at the university, said: "Earlier, the administration announced the JUCSU roadmap on 30th December. According to that roadmap, the elections were supposed to be held in May. Then the election was rescheduled on 31st July. What is the guarantee that the elections will not be postponed again? I doubt the administration's timeframe for the JUCSU elections."

Jamal Uddin Runu, a professor in the university's Department of Environmental Science, was a student representative in the Senate during the eighth and last JUCSU in 1993.

When asked about JUCSU, he said: "We want every election to be fair. But I am sceptical about how fair the election will be, given the setup left by the fascist regime."

“Neither the state nor the university has completed the trial process. Therefore, a level playing field must be created for the election by completing the trial process and reorganising the setup. Only then can a fair election be held.”

Mustafa Nazmul Mansur, a professor of the university’s philosophy department, was the social service secretary of the Shaheed Salam-Barkat Hall Council in 1992 JUCSU election.

He said, "Politics was suspended for a time. What was expected in our time is not the same as now. In our time, we used to select the VP-GS candidates through the council. The entire panel was chosen by the council. Is that possible in the current reality?”

“The country and campuses are out of practice in holding elections for many years. This is what I am afraid of. The election will lose its acceptability when conducted by incapable people. The administration should take more time to hold the JUCSU election.”