DU suspends four teachers, extends female hall access to 11pm

Dhaka University has suspended four teachers; three for opposing the July Uprising and one over recruitment irregularities, and extended the closing time for female residential hall gates by one hour to 11pm.

The university’s Syndicate, its highest policy-making body, took the decisions at a meeting on Monday.

Syndicate sources said, following recommendations from an internal investigation committee that looked into their roles during the July Uprising, the administration suspended Prof M Wahiduzzaman of the Institute of Education and Research, Prof Muhammad Mahbubur Rahman, and Prof Mashiur Rahman of the Department of Sociology. A tribunal has been established to conduct the next legal and administrative proceedings regarding the allegations against them.

In a separate action, Associate Prof Md Ziaur Rahman (Saem Rana) of the Department of Music was suspended for failing to meet the required educational qualifications outlined in his initial job advertisement. Although the recruitment notice required undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Music, Md Ziaur Rahman holds Honours and Master's degrees in Islamic Studies, along with MPhil and PhD degrees in Music. A separate committee has been formed to investigate how he was appointed despite lacking the prescribed qualifications.

Alongside the disciplinary actions, the Syndicate decided to extend the gate closing time for female residential halls from 10pm to 11pm, giving female students an additional hour of entry each evening.