The New Nation - Internet Edition

Our Correspondent

Four teachers of the Rajshahi University (RU) were sentenced to two years rigorous imprisonment yesterday for violating Emergency Powers Rules on the campus following student unrest in the Dhaka University.

Judge of the Speedy Trial Tribunal Ruhul Amin handed down the verdict in the crowded courtroom.

The convicted teachers are Chairman of Management Department Associate Professor Prof Moloy Kumar Bhowmik, Assistant Professors of Mass Communication Department Dulal Chandra Biswas, Selim Raza Newton and Abdullah Al Mamun.

The Court also fined each of the convicts Tk 1,000, in default, to suffer imprisonment for one more month.

Two teachers of the University-former Vice-Chancellor of Rajshahi University Prof Dr Saidur Rahman Khan, who is a member of the Awami League Advisory Council, and Applied Physics and Electronics Department Professor and Convenor of Progressive Teachers' Forum Dr Abdus Sobhan were acquitted from the charges.

According to the prosecution, the convicted teachers were involved in bringing out procession violating the emergency powers rules (EPR) on the Rajshahi University campus on August 21 and August 22 following the violence on the Dhaka University campus on August 20.

They were also charged with violence and arson.

Later, the Officer-in-Charge of Motihar thana, Khandaker Ferdous Ahmed, filed the case against the six teachers on August 26 on charge of violating the emergency powers rules.

Police arrested Prof Saidur Rahman Khan, Prof Dr Abdus Sobhan, and Prof Moloy Kumar Bhowmik on August 24 while three other Assistant Professors of Mass Communication Department Dulal Chandra Biswas, Selim Raza Newton and Abdullah Al Mamun surrendered on September 5.

After the investigation, police submitted charge sheets against the six teachers on September 2.

After examining records and witnesses, the Court found them guilty and handed down the verdict, acquitting the two teachers as the allegation brought against them could not be proved.

Some RU teachers paraded a silent procession in the campus on August 21 protesting the police attack on Dhaka University students. Students called strike on the following day.

On the strike day, a rickshaw puller was killed, around 200 including police and journalists were injured vehicles were torched, and properties including the Vice Chancellor's residence was damaged during day-long clashes between police and thousands of students in and around RU campus.

The students' demonstrations had begun in protest at police attack on Dhaka University students on August 20 and demanding withdrawal of the state of emergency and removal of police from the campus.