Shawdesh Desk:

Teachers of Jahangirnagar University on Friday handed over to education minister Dipu Moni, as per her request, documents as evidence of alleged corruption and misconducts by its vice-chancellor.

The documents contained written narrations of various incidents and activities demonstrating her financial corruption, misconducts and irregularities while conducting administrative and academic activities.

On behalf of the protesters, Bangla professor Tareq Reza handed over a copy of the six-page written complaint with 70 pages of documents to the education minister’s private secretary, environment science professor Khabiruddin confirmed.

They also attached therewith leaked audio clips featuring conversations of some Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders stating that they had received Tk 1.60 crore from Professor Farzana Islam during the tender process of a Tk 1,445-crore university development project, protesting teachers said.

They also placed some newspaper clippings on JU BCL unit president Jewel Rana and general secretary SM Abu Sufian Chanchal where they said in a phone conversation that they had received Tk 50 lakh and Tk 25 lakh respectively, they said.

The news stories also reported that the unit’s joint secretary Saddam Hossain and vice-president Niamul Hassan Taj also said in the phone conversation that they had received Tk 25 lakh.

Spokesperson for the protesters Professor Rayhan Rhyne said, ‘It’s not any formal complaint but some documents as evidence of her continuous corruption, misconducts and irregularities.’

‘We gave evidence of both her personal and collective corruption during the quotation of the development projects as well as the violation of the master plan of the university,’ he added.

A philosophy teacher, Rayhan said that they also gave written accounts of Farazana’s involvement in several other cases of misconducts and irregularities while performing her academic and administrative responsibilities.

They also alleged that she had not called syndicate meetings as stipulated.

‘Now we want that the government will investigate the issues,’ Rayhan said.

He mentioned that they had earlier in September sent complaints against Farzana to president Abdul Hamid, also the chancellor of the university.

Vice-chancellor Farzana Islam or education minister Dipu Moni could not be contacted for comments.

On November 3, the education minister told some agitating JU teachers visiting her at her residence that the vice-chancellor would be removed if found guilty by a University Grants Commission probe.

She also requested the protesters to stop agitation.

PM Sheikh Hasina on Thursday in an event at her office said that those who were creating anarchy in universities on corruption allegations against vice-chancellors would have to face legal actions if they failed to prove those.

‘Those who are frequently starting movements against vice-chancellors branding them as corrupt must prove the allegation. If they can prove it, actions will be taken against the VCs, otherwise, legal actions will be taken against those making the allegations,’ she warned.

The JU protestors, however, at a rally on the campus on the day vowed that they would continue their agitation against the ‘corrupt’ VC.

They argued that they had apprised president Abdul Hamid about the vice-chancellor’s corruption in accordance with the university act.

On Friday, in defiance of the ban on protests slapped by the university authorities, protesters had been continuing their agitation for the fourth day in a row at the closed university to press for removal of the vice-chancellor.

Like on the previous days, the agitating students staying at nearby residences of friends and teachers following the closure of all 16 student halls at the university gathered by the university’s old administrative building in the noon.

They then started drawing caricatures of professor Farzana Islam as a monster that destroyed the serenity of a beautiful place.

Many teachers and employees of the university also joined the agitation programmes.

Then they brought out a procession that travelled various places of the university and ended in front of Farzana’s residence.

The agitating teachers and students had been demanding an inquiry since August 23 into corruption by the vice chancellor over a Tk 1,445-crore university development project.

The agitators under the banner of ‘Jahangirnagar against Corruption’ came up with their demand after allegations surfaced that the VC gave Tk 1.6 crore to Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders.

The university authorities on Tuesday closed the university for an indefinite period after ruling Awami League-backed BCL activists allegedly assaulted protesters.

Meanwhile, the Transparency International Bangladesh in a press release recently urged the Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the allegations of irregularities and corruption against Farzana Islam.

It also urged Farzana Islam to resign from her post for a fair investigation.

On Friday, a cross-section of people took part in a protest at Dhaka University against the BCL attacks on students, teachers and journalists at Jahangirnagar University leaving over 30 injured, reported the New Age DU correspondent.

Demanding punishment for the responsible BCL members and removal of the JU vice-chancellor, the protesters under the banner ‘Teachers-Students, Guardians and Citizens’ later held a rally in front of the national museum at Shahbagh.

They alleged that the Chhatra League established a reign of terror at different universities and corrupt administration officials collaborated with them to maintain their one-party show.

Addressing the rally, JU economics professor Anu Muhammad, referring to prime minister’s warning, said that the Chhatra League first raised the allegation and demonstrators demanded fair investigation into it.

The member-secretary of the National Committee to Protect Oil-Gas Mineral Resources Power and Ports observed that as there were no elected vice-chancellor at universities so they did not dare to take stance against government.

JU Professor Rahnuma Ahmed, Bangladesh Sram institute convener Golam Morshed Milon, Chhatra Union central secretary Anik Roy, Chhatra Federation central president Golam Mustafa, Revolutionary Students Uninty central president Iqbal Kabir addressed the protest rally, among others.