'Reconsider decision of Rokon's expulsion'

Fifteen eminent persons in Chittagong yesterday urged the Chittagong University (CU) authorities to reconsider the decision of expulsion of Zahidur Rahman Rokon, a third year student of Department of History at the university.
The CU authorities expelled Rokon with another student on June 3 on charge of manhandling the CU proctor in front of the office of vice chancellor during an agitation demanding expulsion of a student for assaulting a female student.
In a joint statement, they said fellow students of Rokon and his guardian claimed that he got victim of the incident as the gathering during the agitation pushed him from behind which the proctor took as an attempt to attack him.
“The students' demand to reconsider the decision drew our attention and we found that the young cultural activist Rokon engaged with welfare of people,” they said in the statement.
“The hurried expulsion of Rokon for the controversial allegation concerned us. Considering all aspects, we think Rokon is a victim of the incident,” the statement added.
The signatories include revolutionary Binod Bihari Chowdhury, Prof Emeritus Jamal Nazrul Islam, Poet and the daily Prothom Alo Resident Editor Abul Momen, cultural activist Shila Momen, Begum Mushtari Shafi, Prof Abul Mansur of Fine Arts Department of CU and Prof Dhali Al Mamun, theatre activist Avijit Sen Gupta and Chittagong Bar Association President Mohammad Rafiqul Kader.