Rajshahi University (RU) administration has permanently dismissed Provas Kumar, a professor in the statistics department, over allegations of sexual harassment and academic misconduct. The decision to terminate him was made at the 548th Syndicate meeting held Thursday evening.
University Vice-Chancellor Professor Faridul Islam confirmed the matter, saying: “Multiple investigation committees were formed based on allegations against him [Provas Kumar]. Following the committee’s recommendations, he was permanently dismissed at the last Syndicate meeting.”
On the investigation process and disciplinary action, university Acting Registrar Professor Iftekharul Alam Masud said: “Two investigation committees were formed against him over allegations of sexually harassing a student and academic misconduct. Both committees recommended his dismissal. A higher committee was then formed in accordance with university regulations. Although he was supposed to provide a representative to this committee, he did not do so. He submitted his statements in writing on various occasions. Based on the higher committee’s recommendation, the Syndicate approved his punishment.”
It was previously alleged that on August 4 last year, Professor Provas Kumar called a student from his own department into his office and subjected her to physical and psychological mistreatment. The student had gone to the accused teacher’s office to inquire about her class attendance marks and exam preparation. When she later returned to his office, the teacher, under the guise of offering exam guidance, gave her exam questions, instructed her not to take photos, and told her to write her answers in a notebook. During this, the accused teacher inappropriately touched the student in multiple places on her body and made indecent propositions.
The affected student’s mother subsequently filed a written complaint with the department chair on August 13 that year, seeking a fair resolution of the matter. A fact-finding committee formed by department faculty investigated the incident. After their investigation report was submitted to the university administration, the administration conducted a further investigation. Amid subsequent student protests, he was temporarily suspended from academic and administrative duties on September 9 last year.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report