33 prominent citizens express concerns over expulsion of Comilla University student
Thirty-three distinguished citizens of the country have expressed profound dismay regarding the expulsion of Iqbal Manowar, a final-year student in the English department at Comilla University.
In a joint statement issued on Sunday, (6 August), they appealed to the university's Vice-Chancellor, AFM Abdul Moyeen, urging him to revoke the expulsion order against Manowar who also served as the university correspondent for a national daily newspaper.
Additionally, they called for an apology to the nation after a clear explanation of the VC's stance on his remarks in support of corruption.
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The statement highlighted concerns about alleged violations of academic freedom, media independence, and civil and political rights within the country's higher education institutions. The expulsion incident was seen as a continuation of a trend where proper administrative procedures were reportedly not adhered to, as conveyed through media sources.
On 31 July, Iqbal Manowar filed a report in the daily newspaper Jaijaidin, covering a speech delivered by the university's Vice-Chancellor, Abdul Moyeen, during an orientation and farewell event for the marketing department. In response, the university administration temporarily expelled Manowar on 2 August, citing his report titled 'Development takes place in Bangladesh just because corruption is happening: CoU Vice-Chancellor.' The report alleged that the Vice-Chancellor made remarks endorsing corruption during the event.
However, the university authorities contested the report, asserting that the Vice-Chancellor's speech had been 'distorted,' leading to damage to the university's reputation.
The statement of condemnation emphasised that Iqbal Manowar had reported on the event in his capacity as a journalist, not as a student. It noted that there are established legal avenues to address grievances over news content, including sending protest letters and filing complaints with the Bangladesh Press Council.
The expulsion without following such procedures was criticised as an infringement on the right to engage in independent journalism, particularly within university settings known for fostering free thought.
The signatories of the statement expressed concern that due process wasn't observed in the expulsion of a student. They underscored the importance of affording a student an opportunity to defend themselves, issuing a show-cause notice, presenting the matter before the university's disciplinary committee, and obtaining approval from the syndicate, all of which were allegedly not carried out in this case. This, they claimed, indicated a violation of rules and an unjust treatment of a student by the Vice-Chancellor and his administration.
The statement emphasised that the incident transcended the expulsion of a campus journalist, delving into larger questions of media freedom, human rights, and civil liberties.
Strongly condemning the incident, the collective called upon all university authorities, including Comilla University, to uphold laws, rules, regulations, and rights.
Prominent figures who signed the statement included Economist Professor Mahbub Ullah, Former Ambassador Major General (Retd) AMS Amin, Human Rights Activist Noor Khan Liton, Political Scientist Professor Abdul Latif Masum, Dhaka University Law Professor Asif Nazrul, Jahangirnagar University Philosophy Professor Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan, and Professor of International Relations at Dhaka University, Mohammad Tanjimuddin Khan, among others.
