Dhaka University sacks former theatre department chairman Saiful Islam for sexual abuse

Dhaka University has sacked former chairman of theatre and performance studies department Prof Saiful Islam on evidence that he had sexually assaulted a female student.

The authorities have also suspended a teacher of applied mathematics over similar allegations.

A Syndicate meeting decided to dismiss him on Tuesday evening, Vice-Chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique told bdnews24.com.

The students of the department alleged that the teacher had called the fourth-year student to his house and molested her on Sept 13, 2014.

Prof Islam was suspended two days later after the students staged demonstrations.

He was also relieved from all academic and administrative duties.

Since then, the students had been demonstrating, demanding the teacher’s resignation and arrest.

The Syndicate on Tuesday night also suspended Prof Md Nurul Islam of the applied mathematics department for allegedly sexually harassing a female student.

Syndicate member Prof ASM Maksud Kamal told bdnews24.com that Islam was supposed to go on leave preparatory for retirement (LPR) from Wednesday.

“But he has been sent on forced leave starting from tomorrow after the allegations rose against him. This has also frozen all his post-retirement benefits.”

Prof Islam’s office room was sealed, said Prof Kamal, adding that the teacher was also asked not to come to the university until further notice.

The Syndicate member said a five-member investigation committee will look into the abuse charges.

The team, led by Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Shahid Akhtar Hossain, was asked to submit their findings by Aug 31, Prof Kamal said.

The move against Prof Nurul Islam started after a female student complained against him to the university authorities.

Reached for comment, Prof Nurul Islam told bdnews24.com: “I don’t know anything. The department chairman called me in the afternoon and said my room has been sealed shut.”