United News of Bangladesh

Security will be heightened ahead of the Shahjalal University Central Students’ Union (SUCSU) election on January 20, with more than 300 police personnel and BNCC members to be deployed. Assistant Proctor Professor Dr. Saiful Islam said at a coordination meeting at the Proctor’s Office on Sunday evening that special teams would be deployed at the main gate, pocket gates, and other important points across the campus to maintain law and order. EC approves SUCSU elections for Jan 20, stresses compliance with code of conduct He added that only university-stickered vehicles, rickshaws, and auto-rickshaws would be allowed on campus, while other vehicles would be barred. A medical team will also be on duty during the election. SUST authorities said the arrangement is to ensure a peaceful and fair vote.

Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) Vice-President Sadik Kayem on Tuesday said the Election Commission (EC) has shown a positive stance regarding the student council elections of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) and Begum Rokeya University. Shadik Kayem disclosed the change in the Commission’s position while talking to reporters after a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin at Nirbachan Bhaban in the city. The development comes a day after the Commission issued a directive suspending all organisational elections ahead of the 13th parliamentary election and referendum scheduled for February 12, 2026. Speaking to reporters, Shadik Kayem said the Election Commission assured them that it would take appropriate measures to ensure the student council elections are held in due time. "The Election Commission has assured us that they will take appropriate measures,” he said. Referring to the EC’s directive issued on Monday to suspend all organisational elections until February 12, he said they had already held talks with university authorities and the government. Shadik Kayem pointed out that the SUST student council election is scheduled for January 20, while the national parliamentary election will be held on February 12. “Stopping a student council election three weeks earlier on security grounds cannot be a logical decision. Student community will not accept such an undemocratic decision,” he said. The Begum Rokeya University student council election is scheduled to be held on January 21. Earlier on Monday, the Election Commission directed authorities not to allow elections of any organisation or association, including professional bodies, before the 13th parliamentary election and referendum scheduled for February 12 next. Protest erupts at SUST over EC's low bar, puts holds any elections ahead of national polls The directive, issued through a letter sent to returning officers, stated that the restriction would apply to elections of professional organisations, educational institutions, transport owners’ and workers’ associations, journalists’ associations, traders’ bodies, cooperative societies, trade unions and all other organisations. The Commission said the decision was taken to keep the parliamentary election and referendum process completely free from any form of influence.

The authorities of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) have cancelled all types of quotas for first-year undergraduate admissions. This decision was made during the university's 180th Academic Council meeting on Wednesday. 'Abolish irrational quotas': SUST students issue 48-hr ultimatum SUST Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr A M. Sarwaruddin Chowdhury said that all quotas were suspended with everyone's consent. Discussions, however, were underway to keep some reasonable quotas. A final decision will be made based on the recommendations of the admission committee. The university offers 1,671 seats across 28 departments. Of these, 985 are in the Faculty of Science (A Unit), and 581 are in the Faculty of Social Sciences and Commerce (B Unit). Previously, there were several reserved quotas: 28 for freedom fighters, 28 for Minority Ethnic/Nationality/Harijan-Dalit groups, 14 for disabled students, 20 for dependents, 5 for tea workers, and 10 for BKSP (Players). Students at SUST raise their voice against quotas remaining in place Earlier, students staged multiple protests—including on December 10, last year, January 4, this year, and a human chain on Tuesday—demanding the abolition of what they called unreasonable quotas in the admission process. In response to these demands, the university suspended the admission process for reserved quota seats.

Students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) on Monday issued a 48-hour ultimatum demanding the abolition of all irrational quotas, including the ward quota. They warned of locking the registrar’s office if the demand is not met within the timeframe. At a press conference held in front of the university's central library on Monday afternoon, students voiced their dissatisfaction with the existing quota system. SUST students Polash Bakhtiar, Hafizul Islam, Riaz Hossain and Rabiul Islam Mamun spoke at the press conference. They said despite the nationwide quota reform movement in July-August 2024, the university’s discriminatory quota policy remains unchanged. Students at SUST raise their voice against quotas remaining in place The students will not allow this inequitable system to continue any longer and the authorities must abolish these quotas within the next 48 hours, they warned. Earlier in the day, the students submitted a memorandum to the Vice-Chancellor, outlining their demand. SUST had allocated a total of 105 quota-based seats for the 2024-25 academic year.

Students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST), Sylhet on Thursday declared Tapashee Tabassum Urmi, a suspended assistant commissioner of Lalmonirhat administration and also former student of the SUST, unwanted and banned for life on the campus. They also demanded that the certificates of Urmi be cancelled, said a media release issued on Thursday. She came to the limelight for her controversial remarks regarding the interim government and Abu Sayed who was killed during the July movement. Read: Court summons suspended Assistant Commissioner Tapashee According to the release, Urmi denied the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement through her various misleading posts on Facebook, including describing martyr Abu Sayed as a terrorist. She also said the July-August genocide is a subject to investigation. Her critics say she should be brought under the law and tried immediately. Denial of the July Revolution and derogatory remarks about the martyrs and sedition should be punished severely. Earlier, on October 9, a defamation and treason case was filed against Urmi in Lalmonirhat by Tahiatul Habib Mridul, a representative of the Anti-Discrimination Student Movement. On October 7, she was suspended following her controversial remark regarding the interim government on Facebook. The previous day, she was made Officer on-Special Duty (OSD) and was attached to the Ministry of Public Administration. Read more: Plea submitted to file defamation case against suspended AC Tapashee In a Facebook post, Tapashee wrote, “The chief adviser of the interim government which has no constitutional base said a push has been made on the reset button, history got erased. He has removed all histories of the county by clicking the reset button. Is it too easy! your (Yunus) countdown has started, Sir.”

Police dispersed protesters when they attempted to march towards Subidbazar area of Sylhet city on Wednesday (July 31, 2024) as part of ‘March for Justice’ programme announced by Anti-discrimination Student Movement to press home their 9-point demand. The protesters started taking position at the main gate of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) from 11 am. Police who had taken position there before their arrival obstructed them, said witnesses. Later, more students joined and started chanting slogans. At around 12:30 pm, hundreds of students marched to the city's court point. Read more: Tense situation as protesters hold ‘March for Justice’ demonstration in Chattogram Court premises A clash broke when the protesters tried to move towards Subidbazar and police restored to tear gas shells and sound grenade to disperse them, reports our correspondent from the spot.

A student of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) was found dead at Salutikor in Gowainghat upazila of Sylhet district early Wednesday. National University suspends all exams on Oct 29 The deceased was identified as Rakibul Hasan Sifat, a student of the Chemistry Department of the university. Md Khalique, sub-inspector of Gowainghat Police Station, said being informed by local people police recovered the body of Sifat from the area around 4 am. Govt to set up ‘Dr. M.A Wazed Miah Agriculture University’ in Natore The body bore injury marks on his head. Police suspected that Sifat might have been killed in an accident while going to his destination by a motorbike. ULAB wins at 9th Inter-University Student Conference and Competition Prof. Dr Quamruzzaman Chowdhury, said police sent the body of Sifat to Sylhet Osmani Medical College and Hospital.

The Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) on Wednesday suspended its seven students for up to two years on charges of "sexual harassment." The decision came at the 226th syndicate meeting of the university with its Vice-Chancellor Professor Farid Uddin Ahmed in the chair, SUST said in a media statement Wednesday. Read: SUST students suspend movement after meeting with ministers Sumon Das of public administration, Syed Mustakim Sakib of mechanical engineering; Md Imam Hossain Imran, Md Rifat Hossain and Md Bishal Ali have of forestry and environment sciences been suspended for one year each, Md Ariful Islam and Md Jayed Iqbal Tanim of forestry and environment sciences for two years, respectively. The suspension will be effective from Thursday, and the suspended students will not be able to enter the campus, SUST said.

Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) authorities decided to take classes online one day in a week to save power and energy. The decision was taken on Thursday at a meeting of the deans and faculty heads chaired by SUST Vice-Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed. According to the decision, on Thursday the classes will be held online and on other four days of the week the classes will be taken physically. The decision will be effective from next Thursday. Read: SUST closed till June 25 amid flooding Besides, transportation facilities of the university will remain suspended on Thursday and on other days it will remain limited, according to university authorities. “We are trying to stand beside people amid the national crisis caused by a global crisis. We will try to save 20 per cent fuel,” said VC Farid Uddin Ahmed.   He requested the department heads and teachers to ensure that the decision does not cause harm to the students. 

Mother of Bulbul Ahmed, a SUST student who was stabbed to death on Monday last, has urged the Prime Minister to take step to ensure punishment of the killers of her son. Bulbul’s mother Yasmin Begum made the request when she went to the provost’s office of Shah Poran Hall of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) on Sunday to receive his son’s belongings. The victim’s siblings were also present at that moment. Also read: SUST student murder: Knife used in killing, victim’s mobile phone recovered Terming the murder as pre-planned, victim’s sister Sohagi Akter urged the authorities concerned to find out the actual culprits through proper investigation to ensure justice for her brother. “Real culprits might have hired killers in exchange of money. They might have killed him out of anger. Proper investigation will reveal everything,” she said. Sohagi said the identities of the main culprits will be disclosed if the detainees are placed on remand.   Bulbul, a third year student of the Public Administration Department of the university, along with his friends, went to the New Zealand area, adjacent to Shaheed Minar, on the campus on Monday last. At one stage, his friends rescued him as he was allegedly stabbed by muggers. Bulbul was first rushed to the university medical centre and later shifted to Sylhet MAG Osmani Medical College and Hospital where a doctor declared him dead around 7.45pm. Also read: Probe body formed over SUST student Bulbul's murder Besides, the authorities concerned of SUST formed a five-member probe body to look into the death. Police detained three people in connection with the murder of the SUST student on the campus on Monday evening. On Monday night, a case was filed at Jalalabad police station over the murder. Police on Wednesday recovered the knife used in the murder of Bulbul and his mobile phone set at Tilagaon near the university campus in Sylhet.