Dhaka University suspends three professors and relieves four others of duties amid disciplinary crackdown
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The Dhaka University syndicate has suspended three professors and barred four others from academic and administrative duties following a series of disciplinary investigations. The decisions, finalized during a meeting chaired by Vice-Chancellor Professor A.B.M. Obaidul Islam on July 28, were formally announced by the university administration on Thursday.
Sociology professor and former Jagannath University Vice-Chancellor Sadeka Halim was suspended due to allegations of unprofessional conduct both inside and outside the classroom, alongside charges of moral turpitude. In separate actions, professors Md. Shafiqul Islam and Afroza Shelly of the Nuclear Engineering Department were also suspended, based on student complaints and findings from a university fact-finding committee.
Other senior faculty members faced administrative repercussions for alleged political activities. Professor Md. Abdul Muhit of the Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology Department was removed from his chairmanship and barred from all administrative duties, while Professor Abu Sara Shamsur Rouf of the Pharmaceutical Technology Department and Professor Md. Rafiqul Islam of the Peace and Conflict Studies Department were also relieved of academic and administrative responsibilities. The university cited their alleged roles in activities contrary to the spirit of the July mass uprising, anti-government propaganda, and support for banned organizations.
Additionally, Professor Mohammad Bahauddin of the Persian Language and Literature Department was removed from his academic and administrative roles following allegations of departmental irregularities and plagiarism involving M.Phil and Ph.D. theses. The university also terminated the employment of A.K.M. Mahbub Mustafa, a superintending engineer in the Chief Engineer’s office, for violating office discipline.
In a broader effort to ensure institutional accountability, the syndicate established two investigative committees. The first, led by Pro-Vice Chancellor (Academic) Professor Abdus Salam, will review all recruitment processes and potential irregularities at the university between January 2009 and June 2024. A second committee, chaired by Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration) Professor Mohammad Al-Mojaddedi Alfesani, will audit the expenditure of research funds allocated under the World Bank and UGC-funded Higher Education Quality Enhancement Project (HEQEP).
Furthermore, the university administration announced plans to honor those killed during the July mass uprising. A memorial, titled the “July Smriti Stambha,” will be constructed near the university’s administrative building, with a foundation stone ceremony scheduled for August 5. The syndicate also affirmed its commitment to taking further action against individuals or groups found to be involved in activities deemed contrary to the objectives of the recent national movement.
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