SUST Press Club work suspended

The authorities of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) in Sylhet has suspended all activities of the SUST Press Club until the formation of approved committee, claiming that a controversial situation has arisen due to the functioning of a ‘self-styled’ convenor.

The decision came at meeting chaired by Student Welfare Adviser Prof Anwarul Islam on Tuesday evening.

According to sources, one reporter as well as a Islami Chhatra Shibir man Abu Taher Mohammad Sattar (who now introduces himself as Taher Tuton), announced himself as the Convener of SUST Press Club and issued a statement against the Liberation War sculpture at SUST and Prajanma Chattar.

He is the correspondent of a local daily ‘Shamal Sylhet’ and campus reporter of Bengali daily Jankantha.

This invited angry reactions from the students and teachers of the university and the ‘progressive’ people of Sylhet. They urged the Jankantha authorities to take proper action against this ‘Shibir’ newsman.

Several hundred students at SUST formed a human chain, staged a procession and rally in the campus on Saturday demanding punishment of the ‘self-styled’ convener Tutan and other Shibir journalists and declared them unwanted in the campus. They issued ultimatum to SUST authorities to bring them to book.

Locals held an angry procession at 8:30 pm on Saturday and blocked the Sylhet–Sunamgonj Highway for half an hour demanding immediate punishment of Tutan and others involved.

When contacted, Proctor Dr. Himadri Shekhar Roy said, “Although there is no administration approved Press body in the campus but some unexpected situation ensued as someone announced a designation for himself. So it has been decided to postpone its activities and seize the office and it will remain the same until the formation of the approved committee.”