IU professor suspended after female students accuse him of sexual harassment
Campus Desk
A senior teacher at Islamic University has been suspended after 22 female students filed a joint complaint accusing him of repeated sexual harassment.
The accused, Azizul Islam, is an associate professor at the Department of Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering.
According to the written complaint submitted on June 22, the professor had been engaging in inappropriate behaviour and making illicit proposals to the victims over several academic years.
The students alleged that Azizul Islam made sexually suggestive remarks, left obscene messages and even made a video call to one of them via Imo, threatening to give poor marks if she did not respond.
Feeling cornered, the students united and lodged the complaint with the department head, Professor Dr AKM Nazmul Huda, shortly after the university reopened following the Eid-ul-Azha holidays.
Upon receiving the complaint, the department convened an academic committee meeting, where the allegations were reviewed
Prof Nazmul Huda said the accusations were found to be true. The university suspended the accused and barred him from all academic activities until further notice, he said.
When approached for comments, Azizul Islam said, “I am currently upset. I do not wish to make any comment on this issue.”
This incident follows a similar case earlier this year.
On May 31, the university’s 268th syndicate meeting expelled Hafizul Islam, a teacher of the Development Studies department, after multiple allegations including sexual harassment, homosexual misconduct, and student abuse were found to be true.
