DU teacher’s termination: HC questions legality of action

The High Court on Tuesday asked the Dhaka University authorities to explain in four weeks why its decision to terminate Professor Morshed Hasan Khan from his job should not be declared illegal, reports UNB.

The bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Sardar Md Rashed Jahangir issued the rule on Tuesday following a writ petition filed by Prof Morshed, a teacher of marketing department.

Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua stood for the writ while deputy attorney general Arvind Kumar Roy represented the state. Earlier last year, the university sacked Professor Morshed on charges of distorting the country's history and defaming nation’s father Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The professor made some remarks on Bangabandhu in an article titled "Jyotirmoy Zia", published in a national daily on 25 March, 2018.

After the hearing, Jyotirmoy told the media that the DU authorities sent a termination letter to his client on 6 Oct. On 11 October, Prof Morshed submitted an appeal to the DU vice-chancellor against his termination, but the VC did not act in seven months.

"So we have filed a writ petition with the HC challenging the authorities. Today, the court delivered a verdict challenging the legality of the termination," he added.