‘Students pour kerosene on teacher’

Several students of University of Science and Technology Chittagong (USTC) have assaulted professor Masud Mahmud, an adviser to the English department of the university, according to police and eye witnesses.

The incident took place on the university campus on Tuesday, they said.

Mahmudul Hasan, a student of masters at English department, poured kerosene on the Masud Mahmud, police confirmed Prothom Alo.

Khulshi police station officer-in-charge Pranab Kumar Chowdhury said that Mahmudul Hasan was arrested.

According to police, a group of students went to professor Masud Mahmud’s office on fifth floor and had an altercation with him. When As he came out of his office and entered the lift to go down, several students followed him there. When the professor came out of the lift and started walking, they ran after him and shouted at him ‘hold, hold, push, push’.

Two of the students pushed him while another one poured kerosene on him.

After assaulting the teacher, the students demonstrated by burning tyres on Zakir Hossain Road in front of the university for about an hour.

University’s acting registrar Deleep Kumar Barua said the attack was carried out in a planned way.

University vice-chancellor Jahangir Alam said the student who carried out the attack confessed to the police. The law enforcers are taking action, he added.

The VC also said a three-member probe body has been formed to investigate the incident. Steps would be taken as per the recommendation of the committee, he added.

After teaching for about 40 years at Chittagong University, Masud Mahmud joined English department of USTC three years ago.

Recently a number of students alleged that he indirectly harassed female students talking about sexuality in the class out of context.

On 25 April, the students submitted a memorandum to the deputy minister for education Mohibul Hasan Chowdhury.

The university authority and Masud Mahmud protested at the allegation terming it ‘untrue’.

Noted citizens in Chattogram also took to the street in favour of professor Masud Mahmud.

As many as 507 citizens across the country issued a statement saying that an effort is on to taint the image of Masud Mahmud.

According to teachers and students, after joining Masud Mahmud sacked a number of teachers of English department and appointed new ones to improve the quality of the department.

Besides, a number of students of the department were not allowed to sit for examinations due to their less attendance in the class.

They also alleged at the sacked teachers instigated the students who were deprived from attending examination to work against Masud Mahmud.