BCL leader falls at VC’s feet

A video showing a former Bangladesh Chhatra League leader falling at the feet of the vice-chancellor of Chittagong University went viral on social media recently.

CU sources said Mainul Islam, former vice-president of CU unit BCL, did this to ask her for a job. Mainul has denied the claims.

The video footage shows former VC Prof Dr Shireen Akhtar coming out of her residence on March 19. This was her last working day as the VC.

When she exited the lift, Mainul fell at her feet and was seen requesting something. Two other former leaders of BCL's university unit were also there. But Shireen turned them away and boarded her car.

Contacted, Mainul said the university authorities are investigating his alleged involvement in vandalising the VC office on January 30 last year. "I went to her [Shireen] to request to drop my name from the list of accused. At one stage, I became emotional and fell at her feet," he said.

Mainul also claimed that he never applied for any job at the university.

However, Shireen recruited some 37 employees for the university on her last working day, according to university documents.

Shireen could not be contacted over the phone for a comment.