United News of Bangladesh

Students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) blocked the Sylhet-Sunamganj regional highway protesting the High Court order that postponed the first SUST students union election in almost 30 years, slated for Tuesday (Jan 20). Witnesses said the students brought out a procession and gathered at the university main gate around 2:10 pm. Later, they blocked the Sylhet–Sunamganj regional highway and chanted slogans saying ‘SUCSU is our right, who can stop it’, disrupting traffic movement. Around 5:30pm, the protesters gathered at Gol Chattar area of the university, in front of the administrative building and staged a demonstration. Read More: HC suspends SUST student union election Besides, `Durbar SUST-ian Oikya` (Indomitable SUST Students Unity), a panel backed by the Islami Chhatra Shibir and several independent candidates and a large number of general students took part in the protests. Earlier at around 12:30pm, the protesters padlocked the administrative building. Voting for the long-awaited SUCSU election was scheduled to begin at 9:00am on Tuesday (January 20), after 28 years. The High Court postponed the election for four weeks after hearing a writ petition filed by an independent candidate. The protesting students also declared the independent candidate Muminur Rashid for VP post as persona no grata. Read More: Protest erupts at SUST over EC's low bar, puts holds any elections ahead of national polls Foysal Hossain, independent candidate for general secretary post, said a petition was filed with the Chamber Court. They also vowed to continue blocking the Sylhet–Sunamganj road until a hearing is held. Earlier around 12:30 pm, protesters padlocked the administrative building, keeping Vice-Chancellor Prof AM Sarwaruddin Chowdhury, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Md Sazedul Karim and Treasurer Md Ismail Hossain, confined inside the building. As of 6:30pm, they were still inside, with no official announcement from students on when the blockade would be lifted. Durbar Sustian Oikya Panel candidate Delwar Hasan Shishir said they initially blocked the highway in protest against the court order but later moved inside the campus considering public suffering. “Our only demand is that the SUCSU election must be held tomorrow. Our movement will continue until the demand is met,” he said. Prof Dr Ashraf Uddin, head of the Mathematics Department and president of the Jatiyatabadi Teachers’ Forum, faced verbal abuse when he tried to leave campus through the main gate. Some students chanted slogans such as ‘Bhua bhua’ and ‘Dalal dalal,’ forcing him to take shelter in a nearby shop. A total of 97 candidates are contesting for 23 posts in the central students’ union election, while 84 candidates are vying for positions in six hall unions, each having nine posts. The last SUCSU election was held on August 25, 1997.