AL lawmaker did not beat me: Rajshahi college principal changes statement

Selim Reza, principal of Rajabari Degree College in Godagari upazila, has backtracked from his claim accusing Rajshahi-1 MP Omar Farooq Chowdhury of beating and injuring him earlier this month.

Instead, it was he who "pushed" Omar Farooq Choudhury on 7 July, the day of the incident, Selim Reza said during a press briefing held at the lawmaker's political office in the New Market area in Rajshahi on Thursday noon.

Salim, while reading from a written statement sitting next to MP Farooq, said, "The media reports stating that I was assaulted by the MP are false. 

"In fact, some of the principals and vice-principals of the district went to meet MP Farooq at his office before Eid. We went to him to discuss the formation of our forum. At one moment a heated argument ensued among the principals and vice-principals. The MP was the one who brought the situation under control."

When asked why the principal went to the doctor following the meeting the ruling party lawmaker, Selim Reza said, "The argument [among the principals and vice-princiapls] escalated to a mere scuffle. That is it."

During the press conference, MP Omar Farooq Chowdhury claimed that there are many conspiracies around him.

He alleged that the former general secretary of district Awami League Asaduzzaman Asad is behind the conspiracies.

Asad was the secretary when Omar Farooq Chowdhury was the district Awami League president.

"It was Asad who spread the false propaganda about my beating the principal," the lawmaker said, adding that it has humiliated him socially, politically and familially.

Earlier on 12 July, Selim accused the MP of beating him with a stick and there were visible injuries on different parts of his body.

However, MP Omar Farooq Chowdhury denied the allegations against him, saying Selim Reza was injured in an internal clash. He said the principal and his colleagues came to his chamber on the day of the incident to discuss issues regarding the management of their institution.

"At that time, they engaged in a brawl among each other and I had to intervene to bring the situation under control," according to the MP.

"They are now accusing me because the incident took place in my office," he added.

According to college sources, the principal alongside eight of his colleagues went to the MP's office to settle a matter regarding a conversation between a college professor's wife and a politician.

At one stage, the MP started beating the college principal with a stick, say witnesses.

However, fearing repercussions, no one has gone on record regarding the matter.

A three-member committee body was formed by the Natinal University (NU) to investigate the matter.