Desk Report:
The Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed ‘Integrated Students’ Alliance’ panel has won an almost absolute victory in the Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JACSU) and Hall Parliament elections. The candidates of this panel have won 20 of the 25 JACSU posts. Now analysts are looking for the reason for Shibir’s victory. However, university students believe that long-term planning and a specific vote bank have brought Shibir such a victory in JACSU.
Chief Election Commissioner Professor Moniruzzaman announced the JACSU results at the university’s Senate Hall on Saturday evening. The results show that the candidates of the Shibir-backed panel have won three of the top four posts. Out of the 25 posts, the candidates of the Shibir-backed panel have won 20 posts, independent candidates have won 3 posts and the candidates of the Baghas-backed panel have won 2 posts.
Students say that a section of students have been fed up with the political violence of student organizations for a long time. They wanted to vote for an organization that would maintain a relatively peaceful environment. Shibir has been able to present itself as a disciplined and organized party. As a result, many neutral students have considered Shibir as a place of trust.
In this regard, Jahidul Islam, a student of the Department of Government and Politics of Jahangirnagar University, said, “There was no other option for the general students, especially the swing voters, except for the Shibir panel. There is an anti-left sentiment going on in Jahangirnagar University now, as a result of which the general students did not vote for the left. Bagchas has distanced himself from the students due to some activities. Apart from that, the remaining panel did not have any heavyweight candidates except Jitu Bhai, as a result of which the general students have confidence in the Shibir panel.”
Professor of the Department of Philosophy, Raihan Rain, said, “The organizational integrity of Shibir is better than any other party. The students may not have wanted the Chhatra League’s politics of terror to return through Chhatra Dal. Since it was banned from campus for a long time, the current students did not see the terrorist activities of the camp, perhaps they thought that they would definitely not do anything bad in the name of religion.’
Long-term plan
After 35 years, the Chhatra Shibir came out in public at Jahangirnagar University in November last year. When the students took a stand against student politics in the university’s residential halls after the July mass uprising, the Shibir still maintained a strategic position in the halls. They have been involved in various activities with the students in the halls without bringing their political identities to the fore. The leaders and activists of the organization have also been involved in various welfare activities in the halls and on the campus. After the start of open politics, the Chhatra Shibir has carried out various activities including distributing the Holy Quran Sharif among the students, organizing a quiz competition on the occasion of Victory Day on December 16, free medical camps for students, student scholarships, winter clothes distribution, honoring the injured in July, organizing lunch for students on Eid al-Adha, and providing assistance to the sick. Through this, the leaders and activists of the camp are connected with the students at various levels, which also creates an area for election preparation.
Now, muscle politics is banned in Jahangirnagar University, there is no public room-guestroom culture. It is no longer mandatory for anyone to attend any political student organization program. The camp has been campaigning among the students to keep the hall and campus free from such political influence in the future. This campaign has also helped them in the elections.
The camp leaders’ assessment of this huge victory is that the leaders and activists of the organization have been involved in various activities for the past one year, including keeping track of the students at a personal level and providing support in times of crisis. But they did not campaign on this, which the students liked. As a result, the students easily decided to vote for the camp’s panel.
Hafizullah, a student of the Journalism and Media Studies department, told Ajker Patrika, “Since the camp has not been openly involved in politics for a long time, everyone had an interest in them. The activities that the camp has conducted since it came out in the open last year have created a positive image of them. And that is reflected in the JACSU.’
A specific vote bank
Students believe that Shibir’s own vote bank ensured Shibir’s victory. Analyzing the results of the vote, it can be seen that most of the votes of those who won from the Shibir panel were between two and two and a half thousand. Those who received more votes than this were already known on campus for various activities. From there, it can be said that Shibir has about one to one and a half thousand of its own votes, who did not vote for anyone outside the organization. Most of the votes that came outside were swing voters, who, unable to trust any other panel, considered Shibir’s panel more qualified.
In this regard, Tarek Mahmud, a student of the Department of Public Health and Informatics, said, ‘I think that Shibir and the student organization have approximately one to one and a half thousand public and non-public manpower on campus, whose 100% vote casting has been ensured by Shibir. Along with this, votes from right-wing organizations like Tablighi Jamaat have also been added.
Along with having a specific vote bank, Shibir has an advantage as there are six-seven candidates for each position. This has given Shibir the advantage of vote sharing.
Analyzing the results, it can be seen that the Joint General Secretary (Pur)
Zia Uddin Ayan of Bangladesh Democratic Students’ Union (BGU) came second with 344 votes less than the winner of the post. Zia’s two batchmates and another rebel candidate from the organization were in this post. The three of them got a total of 1,172 votes. If these votes had not been divided, Zia Uddin Ayan would have had a chance of winning.
In this regard, Assistant Professor of the Department of Journalism and Media Studies Mridha Md. Shibli Noman told Ajker Patrika, ‘In the panels that were held in the JACSU elections, several panels had the opportunity to form a panel through compromise. Since they did not do so, their votes were divided. From this point of view, it seems that Shibir got a big advantage.’
Ducsu’s influence on JACSU
Students believe that the results of the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (Ducsu) elections have affected JACSU. Especially girls have been affected more here.
In this regard, Hazera Alam Ruhana, a student of the university’s Journalism and Media Studies Department, said, “Shibir’s absolute victory in the DUCSU elections has somewhat influenced the voters of Jahangirnagar. Except for four or five of the Shibir candidates from Jahangirnagar University, everyone did not know the rest well. However, the overall image that Shibir has created, the way Shibir has won the hearts of the people at Dhaka University by overcoming various adversities, is why the students of Jahangirnagar University have placed their trust in the Shibir panel in JACSU.”
