VC and registrar of JU appeared before the court

High Court directed the VC and the Registrar of Jahangirnagar University to ensure the security of the complainant and not to harass her in discharging her duty in the University.

The High Court bench comprising of Justice Sayed Mahmud Hossain and Justice Gobinda Chondra Tagore gave this direction as the Vice Chancellor (VC) and Registrer of the University appeared before the court today in a contempt of court petition filed by Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK). Barrister Sara Hossain conducted the case on behalf of ASK.

Earlier on 3 June 2010 the Court directed VC Prof. Sharif Enamul Kabir and the Acting Registrar Mr Abu Bakar Siddique to appear in Court on 10 June and to show cause why proceedings for contempt should not be drawn up against them.

Background: Jahangirnagar University is currently conducting an internal inquiry into an allegation of sexual harassment against a university teacher. The inquiry is being conducted by a five person Complaints Committee headed by a senior woman teacher of the University.

During the course of the inquiry, an advertisement was published on behalf of the University, under the signature of the Registrar in Charge, in several national newspapers on 27 April 2010 referring to the inquiry and disclosing the name of the complainant. In a news report broadcast on ATN on 1 May, the Vice Chancellor referred to the complainant and said she had not filed the petition herself but had been made to do so under duress by others.

ASK then sent legal notices to the University, the VC, the Chairperson of the Complaints Committee, and the Registrar in Charge. In their responses the Registrar and the Chairperson of the Complaints Committee commented that the complainant’s name had been earlier disclosed in the media and also by certain teachers of the University. However, they did not give any specific response regarding the specific duty on them not to disclose under Clause 8 or Clause 10 iii of the Guidelines.