Rushad Faridi, assistant professor of Economics department at Dhaka University (DU) has taken a Statistics class in the staircase of the Social Science faculty.
He gave the class on Sunday protesting the university authorities’ decision to send him on forced leave in 2017.
A section of the university students also demanded resumption of his classes.
About 100 students from different departments participated in his class between 12pm to 1:30pm on Sunday.
Rushad said: “Students first asked me to take a class but the authorities did not allow me into the classroom. As a result, I had to take the class on the staircases. If students want, I will continue the classes.”
“I will continue my protest by staging with placards in front of the department. I will not stop until they reinstate me to take my classes,” he added.
Rushad was sent into forced leave on July 13, 2017 following a syndicate meeting chaired by the then vice-chancellor AAMS Arefin Siddique.
However, at that time, he was not issued any show-cause notice.
File Photo: Assistant professor of the Economics Department of Dhaka University Rushad Faridi standing with a placard in his hand alongside his students in front of the depertment | Collected
The decision was taken after a number of teachers of his department refused to work with him. But reasons behind the step against the teacher could not be known immediately.
Rushad claimed that he was sent on forced leave over “baseless and false” allegations.
On July 24, 2017 the High Court questioned the legality of the syndicate’s decision to send its teacher Rushad on forced leave.
Later, the court issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain within two weeks why the syndicate’s decision to send Rushad on forced leave should not be declared illegal.
After two years on August 25 this year, the High Court declared the syndicate’s decision illegal, and ordered the university authorities to allow Rushad to join his work.
Rushad said he is yet to receive the certified copy of the verdict, but he submitted his lawyers’ signed copy both at the department, and to the university administration.
He also alleged that the department’s Chairman Professor ShafiqueUz Zaman refused to receive his letter, and also misbehaved with him. Thus he was unable to join work at the department.
Earlier, university Vice Chancellor Professor Akhtaruzzaman said he was aware about the matter, and said every decision would be taken following legal procedure.
