275 univ teachers demand Maidul be granted leave

A total of 275 teachers from public and private universities yesterday in a statement condemned the incident of delay in granting leave to Chittagong University’s assistant professor of sociology department Maidul Islam to attend a research scholarship abroad.

Demanding that Maidul be granted  due leave, they also criticised the role of concerned authorities who are reportedly not cooperating with Maidul.  

“We think the department’s chairperson or the department has repealed Maidul Islam’s rights to higher education and research by harassing him…,” said the statement, adding that the act is contradictory to constitutional rights of a citizen, and against the spirit of an autonomous university.

The statement, signed -- among others -- by Anu Muhammad and Sayeed Ferdous of Jahangirnagar University; Gitiara Nasrin, Fahmidul Haq and Dr Md Kamrul Hasan of Dhaka University; and Khadiza Mitu of Chittagong University; also urged CU vice chancellor, registrar and sociology department chairperson to take immediate steps to grant Maidul necessary leave.

On September 4, Maidul applied for “Extra Ordinary Leave” for one year starting September 15 -- to work as a researcher at Leiden University, Netherlands.

Although 12 days have elapsed, he was yet to get any response from the department or the registrar’s office, which should take no more than seven working days as per university rules.

Maidul Islam was sued in July last year under section 57 of the ICT Act, for making “defamatory remarks on social media against the prime minister”. He was sent to jail in the case on September 24, 2018, and was freed on bail more than a month later. Last month, the High Court stayed the trial proceedings of the case.