Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Sunday issued a ruling upon the respondents to explain as to why the decision taken in the Dhaka University syndicate giving demotion to Samia Rahman, a teacher of the Mass Communication and Journalism Department, should not be declared illegal.
Education secretary, Dhaka University vice-chancellor and 10 other respondents have been asked to comply with the ruling.
The court at the same time asked the Dhaka University authorities to submit all the documents including the inquiry report prepared on allegation of plagiarism in Samia’s research paper and the recommendations of the tribunal within three weeks.
The High Court bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order after holding hearing on a writ petition filed by Samia Rahman challenging the decision of the Dhaka University syndicate.
The court fixed September 28 for further hearing on the petition.
Barrister Hassan MS Azim appeared in the court on behalf of Samia Rahman, while Deputy Attorney General Bepul Bagmar represented the state.
The Dhaka University authorities on January 28 in a monthly syndicate meeting took a decision to give demotion to three teachers including Samia Rahman on charge of plagiarism in their research.
Samia Rahman who was Associate Professor in the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism had been demoted to Assistant Professor.
Later Samia Rahman made an appeal to the chancellor of the university against the decision. As no remedy was found, she on August 31 filed a writ petition with the High Court challenging the decision taken by the Dhaka University authorities.
After the demotion decision, Samia Rahman in a press conference claimed she was the ultimate victim of vengeance and what she referred to the dirty politics of the university.
