Haircut humiliation: Rabindra University suspends teacher Farhana

UNB, Dhaka: Rabindra University teacher Farhana Yeasmin Baten who ignited protests after allegedly trimming the hair of its 14 students as “punishment” has been suspended.

The decision was taken at an urgent meeting of the syndicate committee on Thursday night, chaired by acting Vice Chancellor Abdul Latif, the university said in a release.

All examinations and administrative activities of the university have also been suspended till further notice, it said.

While acting Vice Chancellor Abdul Latif presided over the syndicate meeting, Dean of Arts Faculty of Dhaka University Prof Abu Mohammad Delwar Hossain, Joint Secretary-3 of the Education Ministry Syeda Nawara Jahan and Registrar of Rabindra University Md Sohrab Ali were present.

All the members present at the meeting expressed regret over the incident and decided to suspend Farhana Yasmin Baten, UNB has learnt. Besides, a call will be taken on the dismissal of the teacher after the probe committee submits its report.

On Thursday, student protests gripped Rabindra University against the teacher.
The protesters demanded that Farzana be permanently sacked from the university for humiliating their peers.

Meanwhile, the High Court on Thursday asked the Vice-Chancellor and the registrar of Rabindra University to inform it about steps taken against the teachers who were involved in forcefully trimming the hair of 14 students as punishment.

The court gave them a month to file their responses.

The court also questioned why legal action will not be taken against Associate Prof Farzana, the Chairman of Cultural Heritage and Bangladesh Studies Department of RU, assistant professors Rajib Adhikari and Jannatul Ferdous Moon, as well as why direction to compensate the humiliated students with Tk 20 lakh each should not be given.

On September 29, amid student protests, Farhana quit the three positions of assistant proctor, head of Cultural Heritage and Bangladesh Studies Department and syndicate member.

Earlier, the university authorities formed a five-member committee to probe the incident.

On September 26, while entering the examination halls to sit for their final exams, Farzana instructed an office assistant to trim the hair of 14 first-year students, and he did it accordingly.

Unable to bear the humiliation, Nazmul Hasan Tuhin, 25, a student of the department and a resident of Magura district, allegedly consumed sleeping pills on Monday in an effort to take his own life.

However, Farhana denied the allegation and claimed it was just a propaganda against her as she did not defer the exam as per the request of a few students.