DU professor threatens to call police on students
A teacher of Dhaka University yesterday threatened to call police on students pressing for release of a friend, who is in police custody for involvement in the quota reform movement.
Prof AKM Jamal Uddin, a teacher of the sociology department, threatened the students of his department when the students were demonstrating at around 9:30am.
He took pictures of protesting students, threatened them “with consequences", and calling police if they do not stop boycotting classes, claimed students.
“If I think you are barring my path, then I will call police. I will call the proctorial team. Now it's up to you,” he said, according to an audio recording The Daily Star obtained.
At that time, another teacher of the department, Prof Samina Luthfa took the students' side and requested Prof Jamal to allow students to carry out their programme of submitting an application to the proctor.
“I will take my classes and I will take steps as per regularities, if you do not sit in my classes,” Prof Jamal said, according to the students.
Earlier, the students took position in front of the department after boycotting yesterday's scheduled classes. They also padlocked the gate of the department.
“Boycotting classes cannot be the language of protest. It's not the university's duty to get a student released. You go to the High Court and get a lawyer for him. If you manage to do so then the department will bear the cost,” Prof Jamal told the students.
Some Chhatra League activists of DU's Surya Sen Hall handed Moshiur, a quota reform movement leader, over to the law enforcers after beating him up on July 2. He was later shown arrested in the case filed over vandalising DU VC's residence.
TEACHERS, STUDENTS DEMAND SAFE CAMPUS
Meanwhile, a group of DU students yesterday formed a human chain in the Mokarram Bhaban area of the campus, demanding immediate release of the detained quota reformists, and a safe campus.
Speaking at the programme, Fahmidul Haq, associate professor of mass communication and journalism department, claimed many students were supposed to join yesterday's programme but could not do so fearing further attack and harassment.
“The administration is working as per government's direction. They are not even eager to bring the attackers under trial; instead they are busy in implementing government's will,” Prof Samina Luthfa, an associate professor of sociology department said.
Condemning the attacks on students demanding quota reform in civil service, students said they want justice for the victims of the attacks on central library and Shaheed Minar premises, carried out by a specific student organisation.
They also urged university authorities to ensure security of students on the campus.
Among others, Prof Gitiara Nasreen of mass communication and journalism, associate professors Tanzimuddin Khan of international relations and Rushad Faridi of economics department were present there.
JnU SUSPENDS TWO STUDENTS
In another development, Jagannath University authorities yesterday suspended two of its students temporarily, over assaulting journalists on Sunday.
The duo -- Abul Hossain Porag of mathematics and Nure Alam Siddique of history department -- assaulted some campus-based journalists while they were covering a protest programme of quota reformists.
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