Dhaka University Forms Committee to Investigate Plagiarism Allegations Against IBA Professor

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Dhaka University has launched a formal investigation into plagiarism allegations against Professor Md. Ridwanul Haque of the Institute of Business Administration (IBA). Vice-Chancellor Professor A.B.M. Obaidul Islam appointed a five-member committee on Tuesday to probe claims that the academic submitted plagiarized material during his application for a professorship. The committee has been granted 30 working days to submit its findings.

The investigative body includes the deans of the Faculty of Law and the Faculty of Science, the university proctor, the principal of Dhaka Medical College, and a nominee representing Professor Haque.

The controversy centers on a research paper Professor Haque submitted for his professorship in 2018. Allegations suggest that the work contained nearly verbatim similarities—save for minor linguistic changes—to a paper previously published in Malaysia. Although the promotion process was briefly halted following media reports several years ago, critics have long alleged that the inquiry was suppressed due to the influence of the university’s former administration.

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The issue resurfaced last year when the “Sada Dal,” a prominent teachers’ association at Dhaka University, submitted a memorandum to the administration detailing various allegations of misconduct against Professor Haque. In response, the former administration sought a formal observation from the Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies, who characterized the accusations as severe and noted that significant evidence existed to support the claims of academic dishonesty.

The Dean’s office previously recommended that the university either establish a new investigative committee or move directly to syndicate-led oversight, emphasizing the necessity of seeking legal counsel. After consulting with the university’s legal advisor, the current administration moved to establish the new investigative committee to ensure compliance with institutional regulations.