Shahjalal University syndicate election suspended amid protests

Sylhet’s Shahjalal University of Science and Technology has suspended its syndicate election amid continuing student protests calling for the resignation of the vice chancellor.

Shahjalal University Correspondentbdnews24.com
Published : 19 Jan 2022, 08:14 AM
Updated : 19 Jan 2022, 08:14 AM

“The decision was taken due to the current circumstances,” said Dr Anowarul Islam, treasurer of the university and a member of the syndicate.

The syndicate election was to be held on Feb 2, but the SUST campus has been in uproar for the past few days amid student protests. Though the university announced that it was closed and instructed students to leave residential halls, they have refused to do so.

“We are unable to think of anything else at this time,” the treasurer said. “We want to resolve this issue before moving forward and have suspended the syndicate election accordingly.”

Students began protests to demand the resignation of Begum Sirajunnesa Chowdhury Hall provost Zafrin Ahmed Liza after she allegedly ‘misbehaved’ with a student.

Though she was eventually removed, students have continued protests to call for a three-point list of demands, including the resignation of Vice Chancellor Farid Uddin Ahmed after police used baton charges and tear shells to break up a protest.

The protests entered their seventh day on Wednesday. Students have also threatened to begin a hunger strike if the vice chancellor does not resign.

Police filed a case against 300 unnamed students on Wednesday at Jalalabad Police Station over the protesters’ clash with police.