‘Threatening Students’: DU teacher relieved of academic duties

Dhaka University’s department of pharmaceutical technology yesterday relieved a teacher of all academic activities of one batch of the department, for allegedly threatening some students.

The action was taken against Prof Abu Shara Shamsur Rouf after an academic meeting of the department held on Tuesday, where most of the teachers voted that Prof Rouf should be removed from all kinds of academic activities of 2017-18 session master’s batch, meeting sources said, requesting anonymity. 

Of 17 teachers who were present, three refrained from voting and 13 out of the 14 who voted, opted to relieve Prof Rouf of academic duties of the batch, they said.

According to the complainants, nine students of the department had recently asked to see their midterm scripts, as they did not get satisfactory results. The professor denied their request, and allegedly threatened them.

The students later lodged a written complaint to DU Vice Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman over the issue, as they did not get any resolution from the head of the department despite issuing four written complaints.

Prof SM Abdur Rahman, dean of the pharmacy faculty, and Prof Syed Sabbir Haider, chairperson of pharmaceutical technology department, have been given the responsibility to investigate the complaint.

Confirming the matter, department chairperson Prof Haider told reporters that Prof Rauf will be relieved from conducting any academic activities of the complaining batch for the duration of the investigation.

Prof Rouf did not respond to multiple phone calls for comments, despite several attempts.