Associate Professor Sudip Chakraborty of Dhaka University's Department of Theatre and Performance Studies — arrested in connection with a case of abetment of suicide following the death of student Munira Mahjabin Mimo — has been relieved of all academic duties, including classes and examination committees.
In a press release issued Monday night, the university announced that the decision was taken at a special meeting of the department's academic committee held the previous day.
The statement read: "Munira Mahjabin, a second semester MA student of the 2024 academic year, has left us all in devastating grief. Following this tragedy, departmental teacher Associate Professor Dr Sudip Chakraborty was arrested by law enforcement, and has since been sent to jail custody after a formal case was filed against him. The academic committee has resolved that Dr Sudip Chakraborty will be relieved of all academic activities, classes, and examination committees within the department until the legal proceedings have been concluded."
Munira Mahjabin Mimo was a student of the 2019–20 academic year and lived with her family at their home in Badda. On Sunday, she was found hanging in her room and was rushed to hospital, where doctors pronounced her dead. A note was recovered from her room which read: "Sudip sir has to be paid tk 50,000. Hani and Sudip sir, take care. Returning the gifts sir gave me..."
Mimo's father, Mohammad Golam Mostafa, filed a case against Sudip Chakraborty the same day, accusing him of abetting his daughter's suicide.
The investigating officer, SI Kazi Iqbal Hossain of Badda Police Station, subsequently produced Sudip before a court on Monday and applied for his remand into custody. The application stated that acting on a tip-off, police had detained Sudip at around 3:20 PM on Sunday in the North Badda area, after which he was formally arrested and questioned in connection with the incident. Initial investigation had reportedly turned up evidence suggesting his involvement.
"In the interest of justice, he needs to remain in custody until the investigation is complete. Remand may also be required at a later stage for the purposes of the investigation," the application noted.