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Several Dhaka University (DU) teachers accused of sexual harassment in recent years have been acquitted or reinstated without facing trial or before any final resolution.
In most of the cases, investigations into the allegations remained stuck or were dismissed due to insufficient evidence and procedural delays.
According to the university regulations, sexual harassment allegations are initially investigated by a fact-finding committee formed by the university syndicate.
If the preliminary findings confirm the complaints, the cases are forwarded to the Sexual Harassment Prevention Cell (SHPC) for further investigation.
However, sources said that many of these cases have failed to progress due to ineffective investigation, lack of coordination, and legal loopholes.
An analysis of several recent cases shows that even when the fact-finding committee confirmed the allegations, the accused were often released due to procedural delays or legal interventions.
In some cases, relevant committees did not begin investigations at all.
While a few teachers were disciplined, the outcomes were often overturned in court due to weak evidence or poor legal representation by the university.
On February 2024, more than one female student accused Dr Nadir Junaid, professor of the Mass Communication and Journalism Department, of sexual harassment.
A fact-finding committee, formed by the university syndicate, confirmed the allegations on May 8, 2024.
On the same day, similar allegations against Dr Mohammad Ferdaus, professor of the Applied Mathematics Department, were also found to be credible. Both cases were then sent to the SHPC for further review, and the teachers were placed on leave during the investigation.
However, over a year later, the SHPC could not hold a single meeting regarding Dr Nadir Junaid's case, and the investigation into Dr. Mohammad Ferdaus's case was inconclusive.
He was reinstated on May 7, 2024, and there are reports that Dr Nadir Junaid is also seeking to return to academic duties.
In another case, on May 3, 2024, the fact-finding committee confirmed allegations of sexual harassment against Dr. Mohammad Nurul Islam, a teacher at the Institute of Social Welfare and Research.
Although the SHPC validated the complaint, the teacher filed a writ petition and received a favourable verdict from the High Court on July 27, 2024, amid widespread protests. He later resumed academic activities.
On October 8, 2023, a former student filed a complaint against Associate Professor Omeyo Srijon Samya of the Women and Gender Studies Department. A fact-finding committee was formed then but the case has yet to be resolved.
In a 2021 case, Associate Professor Sajjad Hossain Siddiqui of the Peace and Conflict Studies Department was punished by the university syndicate for sexual misconduct. His promotion was withheld for five years, though he continued teaching.
Surprisingly, this disciplinary action did not stand in the High Court, and the professor appealed to the syndicate for the withdrawal of the punishment.
On August 28, 2022, Enamul Haque, assistant professor of the Music Department, was temporarily relieved from academic duties by the departmental academic committee over allegations of sexual misconduct. However, no final decision has been made yet, and he remains involved in academic activities.
On January 2, 2025, following a directive from the High Court, the DU syndicate restructured the SHPC. The committee is now headed by Professor Dr Upama Kabir, dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Technology, replacing the previous convener, Professor Zinat Huda of the Sociology Department. The committee includes five other members.
Professor Zinat Huda noted that during her tenure, only a few complaints were received, and she submitted reports for all except one.
Former committee member Dr Tania Haque, professor of the Women and Gender Studies Department, said, "We worked neutrally, but often lacked access to proper information. Without sufficient evidence, we cannot proceed against anyone."
Current convener Dr Upama Kabir said, "The committee has been newly restructured. We haven't received any new complaints yet, and no meetings have been held so far due to members' unavailability. However, one unresolved complaint appears to be very serious."
DU Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration) Professor Sayema Haque Bidisha acknowledged systemic weaknesses, including poor evidence collection and inadequate legal preparation.
"Many investigations lack strong evidence. This failure leads to the accused being acquitted in court. The university must take stronger initiatives," she said.
To address these issues, the administration has restructured the committee, introduced an advisory review body, and is considering placing anonymous complaint boxes in departments to encourage reporting of the incidents. "We are working on ensuring better evidence collection. There is a legal process to review previous complaints, but our current focus is on strengthening future investigations," she added.
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