The Jahangirnagar University (JU) authority expelled seven students and suspended another two yesterday in connection with an incident of sexual harassment.
A university syndicate member, who wished to remain anonymous, told Dhaka Tribune the decision was taken following the recommendation of the disciplinary committee at an emergency syndicate meeting.
On April 14, during the Pohela Boishakh celebrations, students of the A F M Kamaluddin Hall had held a procession in which activists of the Bangladesh Chhatra League JU unit took part.
Several students from the procession threw a bucket of paint on three female students as they passed by in a rickshaw near the Social Science Faculty building. When the women protested, they were allegedly slapped and physically harassed. They later submitted a written complaint to university administrators demanding the miscreants be punished.
JU female students have been boycotting classes and holding protests since then, to a fruitful end.
The syndicate yesterday expelled Tanvir Hasan Khan of the Philosophy department, Anisur Rahman of the Statistics department, and two others whose names could not be identified, for two years and fined each person Tk10, 000. Mushfiq Mohammad Abdullah of the Institute of Business Administration was expelled for a year and fined Tk5, 000. Nur Uddin Sanaullah of the Economics Department was expelled for six months and fined Tk3, 000. Mahmudul Hasan Porag of the International Relationship department was expelled for six months and fined Tk2, 000.
Two students, Saddam Hossain and Mohabbat Hossain, were each suspended for six months and fined Tk2, 000.
Subol Debnath Akash, a student who has completed his masters in English, was fined Tk5, 000 and ordered to leave the campus immediately.
The university authorities also gave warnings to two others, Moshiur Rahman Shaikat of the English department and Nawsher Ali of the Mathematics department, the syndicate member said.
JU register Abu Baqr Siddique also disclosed to Dhaka Tribune that several students had been punished for their involvement in this harassment case.
