The New Nation - Internet Edition

Rajshahi Correspondent

The four convicted teachers of the Rajshahi University teachers were released yesterday from the Rajshahi central jail as they were pardoned by the president.

Family members and hundreds of University students received the teachers-Moloy Kumar Bhoumik of Management department, Dulal Chandra Biswas, Sayed Selim Reza Newton and Abdullah Al Mamun of Mass Communication department--at the gate of Rajshahi Central Jail around 3.50pm.

The jail authorities received the mercy petition along with the Presidential clemency at noon. The released teachers returned to the university campus at 4.20pm.

Earlier, President Prof Dr Iajuddin Ahmed granted pardons to the four teachers under Article 49 of the Constitution as the wives of the four university teachers, in a joint letter, on Sunday evening appealed for the release of their husbands.

Article 49 reads: "The President shall have power to grant pardons, reprieves and respites and to remit, suspend or commute any sentence passed by any court, tribunal or other authority."

Adviser for Law, Justice, Parliamentary Affairs and Information Barrister Mainul Hosein told journalists that the services of the four released teachers would continue, as they were not sacked.

"The Caretaker Government decided to release them taking the mercy petition signed by their wives positively," he said, adding, "The Government expects that the released teachers would now perform their duty sincerely."

On December 4, a speedy trial court of Rajshahi sentenced the four Rajshahi University teachers to two years' rigorous imprisonment each for violating the Emergency Powers Rules (EPR) 2007 by bringing out a silent procession on the campus on August 21.

The court also fined the four teachers Tk 1,000 each.

Khandaker Fardous Ahmed, the then officer-in-charge of Motihar police station, filed a case against six teachers on August 26 on charge of violating the Emergency Power Rules by bringing out the procession and instigating student protests on the campus.

Two other accused of the case-former Rajshahid University Vice Chancellor Prof M Saidur Rahman Khan and Syndicate member and Convenor of University Progressive Teachers' Association Prof M Abdus Sobhan-were acquitted by the Court and both the teachers were released from Rajshahi Central Jail on December 4.

Following the student protest at Dhaka University on August 20 that began with the manhandling of some DU students by Army men at the university playground, a few Rajshahi University teachers brought out the silent procession on the campus on August 21, protesting the previous day's police attack on the Dhaka University students.

The students of Rajshahi University called a strike the next day (August 22). A rickshaw-puller was killed in violence on that day, around 200 people, including students, police and journalists were injured, vehicles were torched and property, including the Vice Chancellor's residence damaged during the daylong clashes between police and students in and around the Rajshahi University campus.

The law enforcers arrested Prof Saidur Rahman Khan, Prof Dr Abdus Sobhan and Prof Moloy Kumar Bhowmik on August 24 while Assistant Professors of Mass Communication department Dulal Chandra Biswas, Sayed Selim Raza Newton and Abdullah Al Mamun surrendered before the Court on September 5.

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

The released teachers demanded the release of all students, who were arrested on the same charge.

Prof Moloy Kumar Bhoumik, after his release, expressed his gratitude to the Government for being set free. "I am congratulating the Government as they have taken a good decision after a few days," he said.

Prof Dulal Chandra Biswas thanked the President for the clemency.

Selim Reza Newton said they were feeling very good after the release.

Vice-Chancellor of Rajshahi University Prof M Altaf Hossain expressed his happiness over the release of his teachers.

"I am the happiest person after the release of four of my colleagues," he said, expressing gratitude to the President and the Caretaker Government.

In another case of burning the motor vehicle of DGFI two more teachers of Rajshahi University Prof Golam Sabbir Satter Tapu and Prof Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan Sajal of the department of Geology and Mass communication along with one officer of Press information department and some 30 students have been implicated. The proceedings of the case has also been finished and December 12 has been fixed as the date of delivering the judgment of the case.