DU teachers were sincere in resolving crisis

Justice Habibur Rahman Khan, heading the judicial probe commission for investigating the recent violence on Dhaka University campus, talks to reporters at the university playground yesterday.Photo: STAR

Head of the judicial probe commission for investigating the recent violence on Dhaka University (DU) campus Justice Habibur Rahman Khan believes that the university teachers had been sincere in resolving the problem at its outset.
"I think all, including the Dhaka University teachers, were sincere to resolve the problem," Justice Khan said. He was talking to the journalists at DU gymnasium yesterday, which he visited as part of his investigation.
The retired Supreme Court judge said that so far many people talked about how the altercation between the students and the army personnel started, but nobody could say anything about the incidents that followed.
The chief of the one-member probe body said that he might summon the teachers and officials present at the time of the incident at the university playground where a football match was going on before the trouble erupted.
Justice Khan also talked to the referees of the football match Azad Rahman and Md Zalal Uddin.
Talking to the journalists, the referees said that they heard noises from the west gallery during the game. Then they learned that army men were beating up the students. On hearing this, the other students present got infuriated.
When they talked to the teachers, they said that the match would continue after the chaos is over, but later it was postponed, the referees added.
Justice Khan then visited the vice chancellor's (VC) residence and DU Senate Building. The commission found marks of ransacking the VC residence, he said.
While visiting the Senate Building, Justice Khan asked Pro VC Prof Eusuf Haider Chowdhury for the names of the teachers who delivered speeches during a discussion there on August 20. Prof Eusuf told him that he would inform the commission later.
During the commission's visit to the spots, DU VC Prof SMA Faiz, Pro VC Prof AFM Eusuf Haider Chowdhury and Chairman of Department of Public Administration Prof Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah were present.
Talking to the journalists at the Senate Building, VC Prof Faiz assured the commission of extending all cooperation in conducting the investigation.
He also expressed hope that the commission report would act as a guideline for all quarters involved in the incidents.
Our Chittagong University (CU) correspondent reports: Only a single teacher of the varsity appeared before the probe committee yesterday to give deposition about the August 22 violence on the campus.
Arts Faculty Dean Professor Mansur Uddin Ahmed, who is leading the four-member committee, said that they had asked the teacher to submit his statement in writing today.
He also said that they would serve a notice to all departments today asking teachers, officers and employees of the university to give depositions on Thursday and Saturday.
At least 40 students, teachers and police were injured during a clash between the students and the law enforcers on August 22 on the university campus in which some outsiders allegedly took part as well.
The CU authorities formed the probe body the same day to investigate the incident. Other members of the committee are Dean of Law Faculty Mohammad Zakir Hossain, Professor Dr Mokter Ahmed of Botany Department and Assistant Proctor Mohammad Shafiqul Islam.
The committee was asked to submit its report within a month.
Earlier, the committee had fixed yesterday and today for giving statements.