HC suspends Sucsu election for 4 weeks amid teacher resignations, campus protests

The High Court has suspended the Shahjalal University of Science and Technology Central Students' Union (Sucsu) and hall union elections for four weeks, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the polls that were scheduled for 20 January.

The High Court bench comprising Justice Fahmida Kader and Justice Md Asif Hasan passed the order today (19 January) following a hearing of a writ petition.

The writ petition seeking suspension was filed by independent vice-president candidate Mominur Rashid Shuvo and two other students. Barrister Ruhul Quddus Kajol, Barrister Rashna Imam, and Barrister Moniruzzaman Asad represented the petitioners, while Advocate Mohammad Hossain Lipu appeared for the university. Additional Attorney General Anik R Haque represented the state.

The petition argued that the Election Commission had issued directives to halt all elections ahead of the national parliamentary polls, making the Sucsu election unlawful under the circumstances.

The election had already been mired in controversy. Eight BNP-leaning teachers resigned from the election commission today, a day before voting, citing administrative irregularities and alleging a lack of consultation with the university syndicate.

Professor Dr Ashraf Uddin, president of the Jatiyatabadi Teachers' Forum, said the teachers were "embarrassed by the administration's conduct" and urged others not to take part in election duties. He said BNP-leaning teachers were being wrongly labelled as conspirators for attempting to ensure a fair election.

Alongside the resignations, campus protests intensified. Students and candidates from various panels, including Islami Chhatra Shibir-backed panels, staged demonstrations demanding that the election be held on time and alleging conspiracies to obstruct it.

Mujahidul Islam, general secretary candidate of the Shibir-backed panel, said decades of blocked student union elections had deprived students of their democratic rights, and vowed that protesters would continue their movement until a verdict favouring students was delivered.

Bangladesh Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal has also been staging a sit-in at the Election Commission building in Agargaon since yesterday, demanding withdrawal of the Sucsu election gazette notice and calling it "unprecedented and controversial" under the influence of a particular political group. Despite this, Chhatra Dal-backed vice-president candidate Mostakim Billah reiterated his demand for the election on 20 January, emphasising that his panel included independent candidates and stood firmly for Sucsu.

According to the final candidate list published by the Sucsu election commission, 97 candidates are contesting for various posts. Four candidates are vying for vice-president, seven for general secretary, and four for assistant general secretary. The central students' union has 23 posts, while each hall union has nine posts.