Students of Shahjalal University of Science and Technology (SUST) have rejected the date announced for the Central Students’ Union (SUCSU) election, scheduled to be held on 17 December.

Delowar Hasan from the university’s English Department announced the rejection on behalf of the protesting students on Saturday.

The students demanded that the election must not be pushed beyond 12 December, warning that they would lay siege to the administration building unless a revised date was announced by 9pm.

Earlier, at around 9:15pm on Friday, SUST Vice-Chancellor AM Sarwaruddin Chowdhury announced 17 December as the election date at a press conference. Immediately afterwards, students rejected the date and began protesting at the administrative building gate, leaving the vice-chancellor, pro-vice-chancellor, treasurer, registrar, proctor, election commissioner, and other officials trapped inside the building.

The officials were eventually released after nearly six hours, on the condition that a decision regarding the election date would be communicated by Saturday noon.