DU Correspondent :
Samia Rahman will go to court challenging the decision of the Dhaka University authorities to demote her.
Earlier, the Dhaka University authorities demoted three teachers–Samia Rahman of the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Syed Mahfujul Haque Marjan of the Department of Criminology; and Muhammad Omor Faruq of the Department of Islamic History and Culture– on charge of plagiarism in their research papers.
When asked, Samia Rahman said, “I will file a writ petition against the decision of demotion. I will write in
the newspaper. I expect to get justice from court.” She said: “The tribunal told me that it did not found any proof of plagiarism after investigation. It also said that I am not involved in the forgery. I have submitted all necessary papers to it.”
But the DU syndicate took action against me being influenced by VC Prof. Dr. Akhtaruzzaman and Sadeka Halim. I became the victim of their personal enmity.
I will go to the court after getting the copy of tribunal’s verdict. I will file a lawsuit if I remain alive or die. I will ask my students to file a case if I die.
Dr Sadeka Halim, a Professor of Dhaka University, said Samia Rahman is a Bangladeshi citizen and so, she has the right to go to the court for legal remedy.
But, it should be mentioned that the DU syndicate did not take the decision acting on personal enmity. The syndicate takes the action only after the allegation found to be true.
The allegation of Samia is completely ‘unprofessional.’
I never talked to Samia. So the allegation that I asked her to resign is completely false. She should not deliver such controversial comments.
Samia Rahman, who was discharging duties as associate professor, has been demoted to assistant professor.
Omor Faruq, who was an assistant professor, has been demoted to lecturer and his PhD degree has been cancelled.
Syed Mahfujul Haque Marjan, who was a lecturer, is currently on a study leave.
In December 2016, an eight-page research paper by Samia Rahman and Mahfuzul Haque Marjan entitled ‘A New Dimension of Colonialism and Pop Culture: A Case Study of the Cultural Imperialism’ was published in a journal of the university called ‘Social Science Review’. Allegedly, the French philosopher Michel Foucault published a research paper entitled “The Subject and Power” in the journal Critical Inquiry of the University of Chicago in 1982, which was 60-70 per cent accurate.
In September 2016, the University of Chicago Press reported the theft to the Dhaka University authorities through a written complaint.
Following the allegation, on September 27, 2017, the DU authorities formed a probe body led by former pro VC Nasreen Ahmad. The probe body submitted its report in 2019. Last year, the DU authorities formed a tribunal formed to determine punishment against the duo–Samia Rahman and Mahfuzul Haque Marjan.
“The DU teachers were demoted as per the recommendations of the tribunal,” said DU Syndicate Member Mohammad Humayun Kabir.
“The tribunal worked on evidence. Not Samia and Marzan were guilty; the Editor of the Research paper cannot avoid his responsibility. But the DU authorities did not take any action against the Editor. This is not fair. Action should also be taken against the Editor. But documents are missing from the Dean office,” Tribunal Chief Dr. Md. Rahmat Ullah told The New Nation on Monday.
“What they did is not plagiarism. But it is about to plagiarism in a sense that they used references not in a right way.”
“I would not say Samia was involved in plagiarism. I worked on the basis of probe body’s report.”
