SUST VC held hostage by students over demand for timely SUCSU election

Students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) on Monday confined Vice-Chancellor Prof A M Sarwaruddin Chowdhury along with other senior officials, demanding that the SUCSU and hall parliament elections proceed as scheduled on Tuesday.

The protest followed a High Court order suspending the long-awaited polls for four weeks after three candidates filed a writ petition. From the afternoon, students blocked the main road in front of the campus and later locked the administrative building, confining the VC, pro-VC, treasurer and registrar inside.

In the evening, protesters held talks with university authorities and issued an ultimatum to announce the elections by Tuesday night, warning that they would cut gas, water and electricity supplies if their demand was not met.

As of 1:00am on Tuesday, the VC remained confined in his office.

Addressing the protesters, the VC said the university could not disregard the High Court order and noted that the chamber court had also declined to hear an appeal.

The SUCSU election was scheduled to be held after a 29-year hiatus.