After a long hiatus of 33 years, the much-anticipated Jahangirnagar University Central Students’ Union (JnUSU) and hall union elections are finally set to be held on Thursday. The Election Commission, with the full cooperation of the university administration, has completed all necessary preparations for the historic polls.

The elections will take place tomorrow, September 10, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., across the university’s 21 polling centers. Students from 11 male halls and 10 female halls will cast their votes in 224 booths without interruption throughout the day. To ensure smooth voting, 67 faculty members have been appointed as presiding officers, assisted by another 67 officials as polling officers. Once voting concludes, ballot counting will begin at the university’s Senate Hall.

To maintain order and security during the election, a strong contingent of law enforcement has been deployed. Around 1,500 police officers, 7 platoons of Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and 5 platoons of Ansar personnel will remain on duty in and around the campus. Authorities have further confirmed that additional members of Ansar and other security forces will be positioned both inside and outside the campus perimeter to address any potential untoward incidents.

In line with election-day security measures, the university has announced several restrictions. All campus gates will remain closed from 6 p.m. on September 10 until noon on September 12, with the exception of Mir Mosharraf Hossain Hall Gate and Prantik Gate. Additionally, floating shops, stalls at Tarzan Point, old transport-adjacent shops, stores near Murad Square by the new Arts Building, the clothing market on the northern side of Prantik Gate, and all shops near the main gate will remain closed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on September 11.

However, to ensure students’ access to essentials, all hall-based canteens and shops have been instructed to remain open with adequate food supplies stocked. Meanwhile, movement of motorcycles inside the campus has been strictly prohibited from 6 p.m. on September 10 until noon on September 12, except for emergency services such as security, water, electricity, gas, and internet. During this period, only vehicles with official round stickers for teachers, staff, and employees, along with those bearing election commission stickers, will be permitted entry into the campus.

The administration has requested cooperation from all concerned to ensure a free, fair, and peaceful election. Students, faculty, and staff alike are now bracing for this landmark democratic exercise, which marks the return of student politics to Jahangirnagar University after more than three decades.