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JUST teacher suspended over rape charge
A teacher of Jashore University of Science and Technology (JUST) has been suspended on charge of raping a woman in Chattogram last year.
The accused, Dr Sujan Chowdhury, is an assistant professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering, and a resident of Chattogram.
According to an official order signed by the university's Registrar Engineer Md Ahsan Habib, the decision to suspend the teacher was made in light of a formal complaint and recommendations from the university’s departmental academic committee.
The victim, who alleged that teacher Sujan raped her multiple times at her residence in Chattogram on October 22 last, submitted a complaint with the Registrar on Tuesday.
“We received a written complaint. As the matter is under judicial consideration, we have suspended him based on the victim's complaint and the departmental committee’s recommendation,” said the registrar.
According to the complainant, the accused repeatedly raped her at her home on October 22 last, and when she approached the police station concerned to file a case, officers refused to register it allegedly after receiving financial inducement from the teacher.
Instead, they advised her to seek legal recourse through the court.
She later filed a case with the Chattogram Women and Children Repression Prevention Tribunal.
Despite several summons for questioning, Sujan reportedly avoided them and allegedly issued death threats to the complainant.
She also accused him of mounting pressure on her to withdraw the case.
Dr Sujan, however, denied the allegations, saying, “She is blackmailing me for money. The accusations are false.”
University sources said the teacher had previously been accused of leaking semester final exam questions in his department. There have also been unreported allegations of harassment from female students.
In July last year, he opposed the student movement on the campus.
Following his stance, students from his department demanded his removal from all academic activities, reports UNB.