DU forms body to investigate extortion allegation against proctorial team

The Dhaka University (DU) authorities on Thursday formed a three-member probe body to investigate the allegation of extortion against the proctorial team.

The committee led by the former assistant proctor Md Maksudur Rahman has been asked to submit the report by two weeks, says a press release of the university public relations office.  

In the committee, assistant proctor Liton Kumar Saha will act as member secretary and the residential teacher of Rokeya Hall Dilara Jahid as a member.

The release said the university vice chancellor (VC) professor Akhtaruzzaman formed the committee to probe the allegation.

At the same time, all concerned have been urged to submit any specific allegation, if they have, against the proctorial team to the enquiry committee.  

It is said in a report run by a national English daily on 26 February that the university’s proctorial team is collecting around Tk five million per year as extortion by setting up more than 300 temporary shops across the campus and its surrounding areas.

The extortion is carried out by the token man of the proctor office Shamim Hossain, who himself owns six mobile shops in the TSC area.        

While the linesmen at different points of the campus collect the extortion, section officer of proctor office Md Rezaul Karim, proctorial team members Md Jewel, Masud Rana, Hamidur Rahman, Jahirul Islam, Md Abdullah, Md Miraj, Aminul Islam, Kishan, Md Salauddin and Md Jahid receive the share.    

When asked, Shamim refuted the allegation -- although an audio clip of his conversation over the transaction of ‘illegal’ money that went viral on Facebook.