RU teacher barred from academic activities for 5yrs

The decision was taken at the university’s 548th Syndicate meeting on Thursday (August 13), Registrar Prof. Iftikharul Alam Masud confirmed on Sunday night (August 16).

According to the registrar, Sen was found guilty of allegations involving incompetence, corruption and arbitrary conduct. 

In addition to the five-year ban, he has been demoted from associate professor to assistant professor.

Explaining the impact of the punishment, the registrar said Sen would become eligible to rejoin the university as an assistant professor after five years. He would then have to wait another four years before becoming eligible to apply for promotion to associate professor. In effect, the disciplinary action sets his career back by nine years. He will also receive no annual increments for five years.

The disciplinary proceedings began after students declared Sen unwelcome in the department on August 25 last year, citing allegations of corruption, irregularities and misconduct.

On September 8, students submitted a nearly 200-page written complaint to the university vice-chancellor, student adviser and department chair, along with what they described as evidence of various irregularities and corruption.

Following the complaints, an emergency meeting on September 9 temporarily relieved Sen of all departmental duties. On September 18, the university formed an inquiry committee to investigate the allegations.

The committee subsequently found his conduct to constitute moral misconduct, according to the university.

The administration later formed another inquiry committee under Section 55(3) of the Rajshahi University Act, 1973, to recommend legal action against Sen. The committee was headed by Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration) Prof. Mohammad Main Uddin and included Syndicate member Prof. Md Rezaul Karim-2 and a representative nominated by Sen.

The decision to form the committee was taken at the university’s 537th Syndicate meeting on March 9.

Based on the committee’s recommendations, the 548th Syndicate meeting approved the five-year suspension from all academic and administrative activities and demoted Sen from associate professor to assistant professor.