DU’s current, ex-VCs face contempt rule

File photo of Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor Akhtaruzzaman.

The High Court yesterday issued a contempt of court rule against Dhaka University's Vice Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman, its former VC Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique, and two others on charges of violating the Supreme Court directives over giving seniority and financial benefit to a teacher.

The two other respondents are DU's acting registrar Prabir Kumar Sarkar and former registrar Md Rezaur Rahman.

In the rule, the HC asked the four to explain in four weeks as to why contempt of court proceedings should not be brought against them for violating the directives.

The HC bench of Justice Mamnoon Rahman and Justice Khandaker Diliruzzaman came up with the rule, following a petition filed by Professor Ayesha Mahmuda, a teacher of Dhaka University's psychology department.

Ayesha's lawyer Md Asrarul Hoque told The Daily Star that the HC on August 11, 2009, following a writ petition, had cancelled the appointments of three associate professors -- Afroza Hossain, Kamal Uddin and Mehjabin Hoque – as they did not have the required qualifications.

The court also directed the DU authorities to promote Ayesha to the post of associate professor and provide her the relevant financial benefits. They were also directed to submit a compliance report to the court in two months.

The Appellate Division on April 8, 2010, modified the HC verdict and allowed the DU authorities to keep Afroza Hossain, Kamal Uddin and Mehjabin Hoque in the service.

The apex court, however, ordered the DU authorities to give seniority and relevant financial benefits to Ayesha

The university then gave the seniority and benefits to Kamal Uddin instead of Ayesha, in violation of the SC directives, which is a contempt of court, Asrarul added.