B'desh varsity suspends detained teachers

B'desh varsity suspends detained teachers
September 7, 2007
Source: The Economic Times

DHAKA: A University in north-western Bangladesh has suspended six teachers, ncluding a former Vice-Chancellor, arrested for their alleged involvement in last month's student unrest.

Rajshahi University vice-chancellor Altaf Hossain told reporters that the teachers including his predecessor Saidur Rahman Khan were suspended on the day of their arrest.

Khan and two other professors were arrested in a pre-dawn raid at their campus residences on August 24.

A Metropolitan magistrate's court in Rajshahi yesterday issued arrest warrant against 13 people including two more RU professors and ordered attachment of their properties after they failed to comply with an earlier order to surrender in connection with the violence.

Three other teachers, all assistant professors of mass communication department, were sent to jail as they surrendered before the judge responding to a court summon on Wednesday.

The court ordered "division status", meant for distinguished people, for the detained teachers at the prison as they appeared before it for a hearing under emergency power rules.

Security forces had also arrested two Dhaka University teachers for allegedly instigating student violence sparked off on August 20 when army soldiers assaulted a few students on the campus. The violence spread across the capital and to major campuses outside Dhaka in the next three days leaving one person dead and 400 injured.

The protests ended after authorities enforced curfew in the capital and five other major cities that was lifted after three days.