Syndicate Signals SUCSU Poll After Appeal Verdict

A day after the appeal verdict against the High Court’s stay order, the syndicate of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) has decided to proceed with the SUCSU election, subject to a favorable court ruling. The decision was taken at a syndicate meeting held around 10:00 pm on Monday, 20 January.

Syndicate member Zahir bin Alam said the university administration has filed an appeal with the Chamber Court. While the court has not yet fixed a date or time for the hearing, the university will pursue all available legal avenues to secure a positive ruling in favor of holding the SUCSU election. He added that efforts have also been made to contact the Chief Advisor and the Education Advisor, and a fresh application will be submitted on Tuesday morning.

According to him, the syndicate consulted four to five senior lawyers, who advised seeking a counterbalance in line with court procedure. “We will place that again tomorrow. If a verdict comes there, we are keeping our Election Commission active. If the verdict is delivered tomorrow, the election will be held the day after,” he said.

Notably, after a 28-year gap, voting for the SUST Central Students’ Union (SUCSU) was scheduled to begin at 9:00 am on Tuesday. However, following a preliminary hearing of a writ petition filed by two candidates and one student, the High Court issued a rule and ordered a four-week suspension of the election.

After news of the suspension spread, students from the Chhatra Shibir-backed ‘Durbar SUSTian Oikya’ panel, the ‘Sadharaner Oikya Swar’ panel, independent candidates, and a section of general students staged a protest around 3:00 pm, blocking the Sylhet–Sunamganj regional highway in front of the university’s main gate. They marched demanding the election be held on the scheduled date, causing severe traffic congestion on both sides of the highway.

Later, at around 5:30 pm, protesters withdrew the blockade and gathered in front of the administrative building, chanting slogans demanding the election. The university administration held several rounds of talks with the students that night. Following assurances that the administration would continue its legal battle and hold the election the day after the Chamber Court’s decision, protesters announced the suspension of their program around 1:00 am. However, they also declared plans to announce a new program at 10:00 am on Tuesday.

DBTech/AP/IK/OR