Students at the Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University (JKKNIU) on Sunday began a hunger strike unto death, demanding student union elections, but their resistance was called off after the university administration announced a tentative electoral roadmap the same day.
Following discussions with the protesting students in front of the university's administrative building, Vice-Chancellor Jahangir Alam formally announced the roadmap and offered the students juice as a symbolic gesture to end their hunger strike.
According to the roadmap, a draft constitution for the student union will be prepared by 15 September and sent to the University Grants Commission (UGC) for final approval.
Once approved and officially gazetted by the government, the formal election process will commence.
Per the announced plan, within 3 working days of the gazette publication, an election commission will be formed. Within the next 5 working days, the code of conduct for the election will be formulated. Over the following 15 working days, the voter list will be prepared, and any objections or corrections will be addressed and finalised.
Within 5 working days after the final voter list is published, the election schedule will be announced.
Following that, within 16 working days, all related tasks – including distribution, submission, and scrutiny of nomination papers and publishing of the preliminary and final candidate lists – will be completed.
After the final list of candidates is published, candidates will have 10 days for campaigning.
The goal is to complete all electoral procedures by 11 December.
VC Alam stated, "The student union election is very significant for the university. It will allow students to choose their own representatives. Once the government gazette is issued, all activities will begin as per the roadmap. We hope students will remain patient and act responsibly. The university administration is sincerely committed to organising the election."
Following the announcement, students called for the election to be completed as soon as possible after the ordinance is issued, a demand the administration has willingly accepted.
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