DU asks for Tk11.5 lakh from Samia Rahman, she claims it ‘revenge’
The Dhaka University authority has allowed the early retirement of Samia Rahman, a teacher at the Department of Mass Communication and Journalism of Dhaka University but has demanded about Tk11.5 lakh taka as dues.
Samia Rahman on Wednesday (10 August) said this is a "revenge" tactics of the Dhaka University authorities. She also raised the question of what basis the money was asked for.
The university authorities also could not give a clear statement in this regard.
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On 4 August, the High Court overruled a decision of Dhaka University (DU) authorities on demoting the Mass Communication and Journalism department's faculty member Samia Rahman on the allegation of plagiarism in her research paper.
On 28 January 2021, a DU syndicate meeting demoted Samia Rahman to an assistant professor from the post of associate professor after finding evidence of plagiarism in her research paper.
On 31 August 2021, Samia Rahman filed a writ with the High Court challenging the university decision.
Samia Rahman went abroad at the end of last year with four months of earned leave. The leave period ended on 31 March but before the end of that leave, Samia applied to the university authorities for another year's leave without pay in February.
However, the authorities did not approve this leave. Then on 31 March, Samia Rahman applied for early retirement from the university.
On April 26, the university syndicate allowed Samia to take early retirement but in a letter from the authorities, it was said that, according to the decision of the syndicate meeting, action will be taken according to the rules if she does not pay money due to the university.
"Tk1,658,216 taka is deposited in your provident fund with interest. According to the report of the Accounts Director's office, your debt to the university is Tk1,141,601," read the letter.
Samia Rahman said that the letter does not mention the basis on which the debt is claimed. This letter has been given to harass her out of revenge after losing the writ in the high court, she said adding that she will go to court against this too.
Also, the university agreed to give her early retirement as an assistant professor, but the High Court ordered to reinstate her in the position of associate professor.
On the advice of the vice-chancellor when Mohammad Saiful Islam, acting director of accounts of the university, was contacted he claimed to Prothom Alo that he had not seen any such letter.
"Can't say anything about it without seeing it Usually these letters are sent from the registrar's office."
