Sylhet, Nov 15 (V7N) – The Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) campus turned tense on Friday night as students rejected the Vice-Chancellor’s decision to hold the central students’ union (SACSU) election on December 17, calling the date “manipulated and unacceptable.”

Tensions escalated immediately after Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. A.M. Sarwaruddin Chowdhury announced during a press briefing at 9 p.m. that the SUST Central Students’ Union (SACSU) election would be held on December 17. As soon as the announcement was made inside the administrative building’s conference room, agitated students locked the building gate from outside and began chanting slogans, preventing the VC and Election Commission members from leaving.

Students insisted that the election must be held on December 8 instead. They described the VC’s chosen date as a deliberate attempt to influence the electoral process.

Palash Bakhtiar, former coordinator of the anti-discrimination student movement at SUST, said, “Students now clearly understand whose interests the VC is trying to serve by setting this date. He has followed a ‘prescription from London.’ If the administration wants a fair and acceptable election, it must be held on or before December 8. Otherwise, our movement will continue.”

Campus tension had already intensified the previous evening when the scheduled announcement of the election schedule was postponed without explanation. From Thursday evening, students gathered in front of the registrar building and later moved to lock the administrative building. They continued demonstrations in front of the VC’s residence around 10 p.m.

Around 11 p.m., Treasurer Professor Dr. Ismail Hossain and Proctor Professor Mokhlesur Rahman met the protesters and assured them that the schedule would be announced on Friday. Students, however, refused to withdraw their demonstration.

At around 1 a.m., VC Professor Dr. Sarwaruddin Chowdhury and Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Sajedul Karim arrived on the scene and informed students that after consultations with the Election Commission, the SACSU election would be completed by December 10. Following this assurance, students withdrew their overnight sit-in programme.

The university administration is now expected to release a revised election schedule, as students maintain that any date beyond December 8 will be met with continued protests.

END/RIM/SMA/