The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court has upheld the Chamber Judge Court’s order that stayed a High Court directive suspending the Dhaka University Central Students’ Union (DUCSU) elections.

With this verdict, there is no longer any bar to holding the DUCSU elections scheduled for September 9.

The Appellate Division’s full and regular bench, headed by Chief Justice Dr. Syed Refaat Ahmed, passed the order on Wednesday (September 3) after hearing a writ petition challenging the candidacy of SM Farhad, the general secretary (GS) candidate nominated by the United Students’ Alliance panel.

Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua appeared for the petitioner, Advocate Shishir Monir represented Dhaka University, and Barrister Imran A. Siddiqi stood for SM Farhad.

During the hearing, DU’s lawyer Shishir Monir argued that the writ petition challenging Farhad’s candidacy had no legal basis. He said the petitioner, Fahmida Alam, was not a GS candidate and had suffered no personal loss, and therefore the writ could not proceed. He further alleged that the case was filed with the ill motive of sabotaging the DUCSU elections.

Farhad’s lawyer, Imran A. Siddiqi, told the court that reports in newspapers and elsewhere linking his client to the Chhatra League were false. He clarified that another student named SM Farhad from the Persian Department, who held a Chhatra League post, was a different person.