VC told to say sorry, or quit
Rajshahi city unit of Awami League yesterday threatened to wage movement against the Rajshahi University vice-chancellor for his removal if he did not apologise within seven days for Thursday's “untoward incident” at the VC's office.
In a press conference at the party office in the city's Kumarpara around noon, the city unit leaders alleged that RU VC Prof Muhammad Mizanuddin misbehaved with AL Rajshahi city unit General Secretary Dablu Sarkar and some other leaders who went to the VC's office for a pre-scheduled meeting on Thursday.
“We went there to attend a closed-door meeting with the VC to let him know about some allegations against him. But he misbehaved with us and later blamed us for assaulting him and other teachers. He must apologise within seven days or face movement for his removal,” Dablu Sarker said.
Replying to a question, Sarker said, “If anyone, other than the VC, can prove I misbehaved with him [the VC], I would seek apology.” There was a CCTV camera installed at the VC's office, he said.
While reading out a statement at the press conference, Mahfuzur Rahman Loton, vice president of the AL's city chapter, mentioned 14 points to show how the VC had favoured the Jamaat-Shibir and the BNP in recruiting 12 staffs, ignoring quality candidates from the pro-AL Bangladesh Chhatra League.
He narrated 12 other points to show the VC's patronisation of Shibir on the campus. He said the VC was blaming the AL leaders as a trick for covering up his misdeeds.
Refuting all allegations, RU VC Prof Mizanuddin said, “The allegations were raised when the news of the assault on me and some senior teachers became public, not during the recruitment … The recruitment was held as per rules.”
He also claimed that the CCTV camera footages would prove who misbehaved on Thursday.
On Thursday, the VC alleged that Dablu and his aides barged into his office and asked him why he had still not appointed their men. The AL men also shouted expletives and assaulted him and some senior teachers.
The previous day, Rajshahi-1 lawmaker Omar Faruque Chowdhury went to the VC's office, hurled abuses at him and threatened to get him sacked, allegedly after being asked to meet later.
Denying this, the lawmaker later said he had gone there and only talked about lessening a fine the RU authorities imposed on a private medical college.
The RU authorities imposed a fine of Tk 25 lakh on Shah Makhdum Medical College, a Rajshahi University-affiliated institution, for enrolling several students before academic approval. The MP heads the board of the medical college.
Comments