Why decision should not be illegal: HC

The High Court (HC) yesterday issued a rule on Chittagong University (CU) authorities asking as to why a decision taken in a syndicate meeting relieving a professor of anthropology department of the exam duty should not be declared illegal.

The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Jahangir Alam issued the rule after hearing a writ petition filed by Prof Dr Nasir Uddin challenging the decision that was taken in 509th syndicate meeting.

Prof Nasir's lawyer Barrister Jyoutirmoy Barua told The Daily Star that the court ordered the university authorities to submit their explanation within four weeks.

In the syndicate meeting, Prof Nasir had been relieved of all kinds of exam-related activities as he allegedly took 100-mark master's terminal examination in 2015, breaching the university rules.

After the allegation, CU formed an investigation committee headed by Prof Dr AF Imam Ali of sociology department. The committee found Prof Nasir guilty.

Later, based on the probe committee's suggestions, the syndicate removed Prof Nasir from the exam-related duty.

Challenging the decision, Prof Nasir filed the petition with HC court seeking it to announce the decision illegal.

Contacted, Nasir said he did not breach any rule.

He took the examination the way it had been being conducted at the department in the last 13 years, he said, adding, "I showed all the evidence to the investigation team."  

"It was not me; other departments also have been following the same tradition."

Moreover, the decision to conduct the 100-mark examination was not his own; it was approved by the academic council, said Prof Nasir.

"Why have I been victimised then?" he questioned.

In this regard, The Daily Star contacted the head of the investigation committee, Prof Imam Ali.

He said Prof Nasir conducted the 100-mark exam instead of 25 -- which is a violation of the university rule.

Prof Nasir preferred his own wish to the university's, added Prof Imam.