'Mob justice unacceptable': JU Nationalist Teachers' Forum condemns harassment of CU asst professor
Yesterday, a group of Cucsu leaders harassed Hasan Muhammad Roman of the CU Department of Law over allegations of his involvement in killings during the July Uprising.
The Nationalist Teachers' Forum of Jahangirnagar University has condemned the harassment of a law department teacher at Chittagong University, his being dragged to the proctor's office and the circulation of a video of the incident on social media, saying "mob justice" is never acceptable.
In a statement issued yesterday (10 January), the organisation condemned the act, saying that publicly humiliating a teacher, physically harassing them or creating an atmosphere of fear at a higher educational institution constitutes a direct attack on the country's education system.
The statement comes after a group of leaders of the Chittagong University Central Students' Union (Cucsu) harassed Hasan Muhammad Roman, an assistant professor of the Department of Law, yesterday and handed him over to the proctor's office over allegations of his involvement in killings during the July Uprising.
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A video of the incident was widely circulated on social media, where several students are seen dragging Roman away. At one point, one of them is seen restraining him from behind.
"Regardless of differences of opinion or disputes over a person's past role, the only acceptable means of resolution is through the law and administrative investigations," the forum said, stressing that "mob justice" is unacceptable under any circumstances.
It added that in recent times, after a "particular student organisation's" victory in student union elections at several universities, campuses have seen a rise in intimidation, "mob culture" and teacher harassment.
The forum demanded an immediate, comprehensive, impartial and swift investigation into the incident and exemplary punishment for those involved.
The organisation also said political patronage for individuals or groups involved in teacher harassment and the creation of mobs must be stopped.
Allegations
According to leaders of Cucsu, which is currently dominated by the Jamaat-e-Islami's student wing Islami Chhatra Shibir, Hasan Muhammad Roman was allegedly involved in filing cases and harassing protesting students while serving as an assistant proctor when the Awami League regime was in power.
"... while serving as an assistant proctor, he branded students engaged in democratic protests as 'militants' and filed cases against them," Fazle Rabbi, Cucsu law and human rights affairs secretary, told The Business Standard.
Roman denied all allegations against him and said, "While on duty at the examination hall today, I came out after hearing shouts outside… I became frightened and tried taking shelter at a colleague's residence at gate No 2, from where several people detained me," he added.
Meanwhile, CU Proctor Hossain Shaid Shohrowardhy said Roman was a "soldier of the fascist regime."
"He was known as 'problem boy' on campus because of his involvement in a wide variety of issues," he added.
