Staff Reporter :
The High Court on Tuesday declared illegal the decision of the suspension of Prof Md Rahmat Ullah, a faculty member of Dhaka University’s Law Department, from all the academic and administrative duties by the university authorities.
The High Court Bench of Justice Zafar Ahmed and Justice Md Bashir Ullah delivered the verdict after hearing a writ petition filed challenging the legality of his suspension by the DU authorities.
Following the writ petition the High Court on June 8 last year issued a rule upon the respondents to explain as to why the suspension order should not be declared illegal.
The court also postponed the decision of the suspension of Prof Md Rahmat Ullah from academic and administrative duties.
DU authorities filed a leave to appeal petition against the HC stay order.
After hearing the leave to appeal petition the apex court on February 2 this year asked the HC to dispose of the rule expeditiously.
Accordingly the HC delivered the verdict on Tuesday by declaring the rule absolute.
Lawyers Ahsanul Karim and Syeda Nasrin appeared in the court hearing on behalf of the DU teacher, while lawyer Sazzad Hossain represented the university authorities.
Lawyer Ahsanul Karim said now there is no bar on Prof Rahmat Ullah to participate in academic and also administrative activities of the university following the HC order.
Earlier on April 20, 2022, the university syndicate suspended Prof Md Rahmat Ullah from all the academic and administrative duties as he paid a tribute to Khandakar Mushtaq Ahmed, one of the alleged conspirators of the fatal assassination of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, in an event of the Mujibnagar Day.
On April 17, 2022, the DU authorities organised a discussion on Mujibnagar Day at the Teacher- Student Centre of the campus. During his speech, Prof Rahmat Ullah appeared to pay homage to Mushtaq.
Pro-VC Prof Dr Muhammad Samad immediately protested to Prof Rahmat Ullah’s statement and demanded that it be retracted.
Later, on April 18, Prof Rahmat Ullah arranged a press conference and apologised for “inadvertently” paying tribute to Khandakar Mushtaq and gave an explanation of it.
Prof Rahmat Ullah, claimed at the press conference that he had just mentioned the names of those holding office in different ministries of the Mujibnagar government and never paid respect to Mushtaq specifically.
