JU decision to suspend 2 female students for assaulting a male student illegal: HC

The High Court today declared illegal the decision of Jahangirnagar University authorities that expelled two female students -- Sumaiya Binte Ikram and Anika Tabassum Mim -- on the allegation of physically assaulting a male student on the campus in January this year.

The bench of Justice Zafar Ahmed and Justice Md Akhtaruzzaman delivered the verdict following a writ petition filed by Sumaiya and Anika challenging the legality of the JU administration's decision to suspend them from all academic activities.

The HC declared the JU authorities' decision illegal as the authorities did not issue any show-cause notice to the female students and did not give them any opportunity to defend themselves, their lawyer AM Mahbub Uddin Khokon told The Daily Star.

JU's lawyer Nahid Mahtab told this correspondent that her client is yet to decide whether they will move any appeal before the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court against the HC verdict.

The lawyer also said students Sumaiya and Anika apologised to the JU authorities for their acts.

The JU syndicate at a meeting on January 26 this year decided to suspend Sumaiya and Anika for different terms for physically assaulting Md Farhad Hossain, a student of government and politics department following a brawl over walking on the right lane of a road on the campus on January 24.

Sumiya, fourth year student of anthropology department, was suspended for one year from all academic activities while her classmate Anika for six months for backing Sumaiya in the brawl and for filing a false allegation against the victim, lawyer Mahbub Uddin Khokon said.