Jahangirnagar University is heading into the Central Students’ Union and hall union elections, with a low number of candidates for elections to the women’s residential halls.
After the end of nomination paper submission on Thursday, election officials said that no nomination paper was submitted against many posts of the women’s hall unions, and many would win uncontested.
A total of 128 aspirants submitted nomination forms against 150 posts of the unions of 10 halls for women, they said.
The officials expressed their concern about competitiveness in these hall union elections and less representation of women in student politics.
In this backdrop, the authorities were thinking whether they would allow more time for the collection and submission of nomination papers for the elections to women’s hall unions.
Though each of the hall unions has 15 posts, all the posts failed to attract candidates in five women’s halls, out of 10, of the university.
The number of aspirants in any of the other five halls for women did not exceed 17.
According to the election commission data, six nomination papers were submitted for each of Nawab Faizunnesa Hall and 13 No Hall, 10 for Sufia Kamal Hall, 11 for Begum Khaleda Zia Hall, and 13 nomination papers were submitted for Pritilata Hall.
Besides, 15 aspirants submitted nomination papers for Fazilatunnesa Hall Union, 16 for Jahanara Imam Hall, and 17 nomination papers were submitted for each of 15 No Hall, Bir Protik Taramon Bibi Hall, and Rokeya Hall.
The number of candidates may become lesser than that of the aspirants who submitted nomination forms as withdrawals or disqualifications may occur in the later electoral process.
Female students said that disapproval of their families, fears of political unrest, and concerns over political coercion discouraged many of them from contesting in the elections.
At least eight students admitted that they were interested but could not secure parents’ consent, while others noted that prominent women leaders active in the July movement had graduated, making them ineligible.
‘I don’t think hall unions can work independently without political intervention. Contesting in the election will be nothing but betraying my voters’ trust,’ said Tasnuva Amrin Shreya of Pritilata Hall.
Professor Mafruhi Sattar, a member of the JUCSU Election Commission, said that hall unions could operate with limited participation.
‘Hall unions can function with at least six members, as one-third attendance is sufficient to hold the meetings. Unlike JUCSU, the hall union constitution does not require by-elections for vacant posts’, he said.
The halls for male students, however, have seen a high number of candidates.
Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam Hall received 60 nomination forms for 15 posts, while Shahid Tajuddin Ahmad Hall saw 49, Mir Mosharraf Hossain and 10 No Halls drew 30 candidates each, while 21 No Hall received nomination papers from 38 aspirants.
Several members of the JUCSU election commission said that they were considering extending the nomination paper submission deadline for women’s hall union elections to encourage more female students to participate in the polls.
Submission of the nomination papers began on August 18 and ended at 5:00 pm on Thursday.
A total of 276 forms were submitted for the 25 posts of JUCSU.
The polls are scheduled for September 11.
The last JUCSU election was held in 1992, when the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal won the top posts.
The union was dissolved the following year after an attack on the university teachers’ club.