Home Affairs Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Choudhury has said there are no concerns surrounding the upcoming elections to the Rajshahi University Central Students' Union (RUCSU) and Chittagong University Central Students' Union (CUCSU).

Speaking to journalists on Thursday (Sept 18) following a meeting on overall preparations and law and order ahead of the elections, he confirmed that arrangements were progressing in an orderly manner.

The adviser also said, “Elections have already taken place for DUCSU and JUCSU. The RUCSU and CUCSU polls will be held shortly. Today we engaged in discussions with them. These are individuals with higher education, and so are the voters—this enhances the maturity of the process.”

The adviser highlighted that the meeting served not only as a preparatory review but also as a learning opportunity ahead of the national parliamentary elections scheduled for February. 

“We are drawing from the experiences of these student elections to understand what can be applied at the national level,” he explained.

Participants in the meeting provided several constructive suggestions, the home adviser added. “They offered valuable advice which we will put to good use in the future. The discussions also helped them reflect and gain insights. Since two student elections have already taken place, we focused on refining processes and addressing minor flaws.”

In response to a question on whether there were any security concerns, Md Jahangir Alam Choudhury said unequivocally: “They have expressed no apprehensions whatsoever.”

Asked about specific recommendations, he said the meeting covered logistical and technical aspects, such as the number of polling centres required, procedures for vote counting, use of indelible ink, and ways to ensure timely announcement of results. Transparency in the voter list and the use of photo identification at polling stations were also discussed.

On the delayed result announcement in the JUCSU polls—where the count reportedly took three days, he said that both manual and machine-based counting methods were used. “As machine-based vote counting is more time-efficient, they have advised relying more heavily on that system going forward,” he said.

When questioned about lessons applicable to the national election, the adviser replied: “We are sharing experiences with them, and they are doing the same. Given that elections are happening after a long interval, these exchanges are particularly useful. Not every detail can be disclosed, but what needs to be learned is being taken seriously.”

The home adviser said, “There is no unease surrounding these two student elections. We are hopeful both will proceed smoothly—and we will, of course, need your support and cooperation.”
 
SMS/