Kuet suspends 9 students including BCL GS over teacher’s death 

Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (Kuet) authorities have suspended nine students including Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) Kuet unit General Secretary Sadman Nahian Sejan over the death of Kuet faculty Prof Md Selim Hossain. 

The decision was announced via a press note from Kuet public relations and information wing on Saturday. 

Other suspended students are Md Tahamidul Haque Ishraq, Md Sadman Sakib, ASM Ragib Ahsan Munna, Mahmudul Hasan, Md Kamruzzaman, Md Riaz Khan Niloy, Foysal Ahmed Rifat and Md Naimur Rahman Antu. 

According to the press release, the issue of the untimely death of Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) Department Prof Md Selim Hossain was raised at an emergency meeting of the university syndicate held on 2-3 December. 

"It was decided to temporarily expel nine students from the university for misconduct," the notice said. 

A new five-member probe committee has been formed on Friday to investigate Selim Hossain's death and identify the students involved in the teacher's harassment, said Kuet Vice-chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Kazi Sajjad Hossain.

Prof Dr Mohiuddin Ahmed of the EEE Department and Prof Dr Alhaj Uddin of the Mathematics Department are respectively the president and member secretary of the new committee.

The committee has been asked to submit the investigation report to the VC within the next 10 days.

On Friday, authorities decided to close the university till 13 December after Prof Selim's death triggered a volatile situation on campus.

A faction of BCL activists, led by Sadman Nahian Sejan, reportedly had been threatening and creating pressure on Selim Hossain, also provost of the university's Lalan Shah Hall, to elect one of the faction's followers as the dining manager of the hall.

On Tuesday (30 November), a group of Sadman Nahian's followers reportedly engaged in an altercation with the teacher on the campus road while he was on his way to his room at the department, alleged the university's students and teachers.

They said the group entered the teacher's room at about 12:30pm, closed the door and stayed inside for about half an hour before leaving.

After returning home at 3:00pm, the teacher went to bathroom. As he was not coming out for a long time, his wife broke open the door with the help of neighbours. He was found unconscious on the bathroom floor and rushed to Khulna Medical College Hospital where the duty doctors declared him death.

Earlier, Kuet authorities had formed a three-member probe committee over the incident, but to members of the committee refused to take part in the probe.

The teachers and students had announced to boycott academic activities alleging that the BCL activists were responsible for the untimely death of Selim Hossain and demanding immediate action against the people involved.