Sust students free VC, others after 14 hours

Students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology have postponed their protests against the High Court order that suspended the Sucsu and hall union polls slated for today.

They announced the postponement of their sit-in in front of the administrative building around 1:15am.

The students also unlocked the administrative building where the vice chancellor, pro-vice chancellor, treasurer, and other high officials had been confined since noon.

However, they asked the VC not to leave Sylhet until the Sucsu election is held and to complete all the necessary processes to hold the polls as soon as possible.

The students said they will resume their demonstrations in Golchattar area on the campus from this morning. They did not specify a time.

Speaking to this correspondent after the meeting, Sust VC Prof Dr AM Sarwaruddin Chowdhury said, “Since the day I joined the campus, I’ve been trying my best to hold the Sucsu polls. Even after the EC turned us down in a gazette notification, we convinced them and achieved a decision.”

“However, we are unable to hold the elections due to the HC order following the student’s writ. But we have already appealed and will do everything we can do legally to hold the elections as soon as possible.”

 An HC bench of Justice Fahmida Quader and Justice Md Ashif Hasan yesterday passed an order suspending the poll process for four weeks following the writ petition filed on Sunday by a Sucsu vice-president candidate.

Immediately after the order was issued, the Sust authorities filed a petition with the Appellate Division, challenging the HC order.

Students who had been protesting the petition since morning then announced they would continue their demonstrations demanding the polls. They confined the VC, pro-vice chancellor, treasurer, and other top officials inside the administrative building from noon, locking its entrance.

After the emergency syndicate meeting, the university administration around 10:00pm initiated a meeting with a section of the protesting students at the administrative building’s conference hall.

Contacted by The Daily Star, Mohammad Belayet Hossain, a senior lawyer for the university, said the Sust authorities have sought a stay on the HC order so that the elections could proceed, and that a chamber judge of the Appellate Division may hold a hearing today in this regard.

“The writ petition that led to the High Court staying the elections was not acceptable, as there was no nexus between the Sucsu election and the national parliamentary polls.”

On Sunday, independent vice-president candidate Mominur Rashid Shuvo filed the petition, saying the Election Commission had earlier issued directives to halt all elections ahead of the national parliamentary polls, arguing that holding the Sucsu election under those directives was not legally valid.

Citing security concerns, the EC on January 12 circulated a notification ordering that no polls, including those of student unions, can be held before the February 12 parliamentary election.

However, after repeated discussions with the Sust administration, the EC on January 15 issued another notification allowing the Sucsu polls.

Abu Saleh Md Nasim, a protesting student of the Bangla Department, said, “For one political party’s wish, the election is deferred, foiling all our joy for the Sucsu polls after 28 years. The university administration was not interested in holding the polls, and it was our demand to hold them. But they are now creating obstructions.”

Shibir-backed VP candidate Delwar Hossain Shishir said, “I would blame the administration for the failure. The polls were supposed to be held in December, but they intentionally deferred the date to January 20 and created this situation.”

Students began protesting the petition yesterday morning in front of the administrative building, demanding that the elections be held as scheduled. Around 2:00pm, after the HC order, they marched towards the university’s main gate and blocked the Sylhet-Sunamganj Highway.

The students removed the blockade and marched back onto the campus around 6:00pm. They continued their protest in front of the administrative building.

Eight Sucsu election commissioners, who are part of the Jatiyatabadi Teachers’ Forum, submitted their resignations to the VC following the protest.

At a press conference, Prof Dr Ashraf Uddin, president of the forum and head of the mathematics department, said they had resigned over anomalies surrounding the polls, adding that more than a hundred teachers would refrain from election duties.

In contrast, Jamaat-backed teachers’ organisation University Teachers’ Link said it would stand by the administration in holding the election and pursue any necessary legal action.

Dr Abul Mukid Mohammad Mukaddes, chief election commissioner for the Sucsu polls, said, “We have nothing to do with the High Court order, as the university authorities are legally doing what’s necessary and have also called an emergency syndicate meeting over the issue.

“The duties of the commissioners are almost over, and the resignation of eight will not impact the election. We are awaiting the court and the administration’s directions.”

The Sucsu and hall union polls were scheduled this year after a 28-year gap, with 9,030 students registered as voters. Ninety-seven candidates are contesting for 23 posts of the central students’ union, while another 84 candidates are running for various posts in six residential hall unions.

The contest primarily pits three full panels against each other: Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed “Durbar SUSTian Oikya”, Chhatra Dal-backed “Somonnito SUSTian Oikya”, and the left-leaning “Sadharoner Oikya Swar”.

The last Sucsu election was held in 1997.