The Dhaka University (DU) authorities have issued a clarification in response to reports circulating in several newspapers regarding restrictions on organizing Ramadan events on the university campus.

The university released a press statement on Thursday to address the issue.

According to the press release, the university authorities refuted claims made in news reports that falsely stated that the university had imposed a ban on organising discussions related to Ramadan.

The university clarified that no such prohibition had been issued and also affirmed its support for peaceful and informative events during the holy month.

The press release criticized the inaccurate portrayal in news reports, labeling it as false, misleading, and motivated.

It highlighted a notice issued by the Proctor's Office of the university, which emphasized the importance of maintaining conducive environment for education and peace.

Furthermore, DU authorities said that they have never issued any prohibition on organising peaceful and constructive events on the campus during Ramadan.

The press release mentioned the regular occurrences of Iftar gatherings hosted by teachers, students, officials, and staff at various locations on the campus.

However, it also addressed incidents involving disruptions by supporters of political organizations during Ramadan, which had disturbed the university's established norms and disrupted the peaceful educational environment.

The press release underscored that Dhaka University has prescribed rules and designated spaces for conducting cultural and co-curricular programmes, which should be adhered to by all stakeholders.

It condemned the sensationalism and spread of false reports centering Ramadan and Dhaka University, which had caused confusion among the public.

Prior to this clarification on 15 March, DU Proctor Prof Md Maksudur Rahman sent a letter to all faculty deans, hall provosts, department chairpersons, and directors of the university, urging them not to grant permission for any programme on the university campus that might provoke untoward incidents and hamper academic activities.

The letter referenced an incident involving a group of Law Department students who gathered at the Bangabandhu Tower building to hold a seminar titled “Productive Ramadan” without university’s permission. The incident resulted in injuries to some students, prompting authorities to inform law enforcement agencies and form a probe committee to address the matter.

However, the letter also highlighted attempts by a few political organizations and individuals to exploit the incident to disrupt campus harmony.

In response, the authorities urged all relevant parties not to grant permission for such programmes to prevent any untoward incident on the campus.