Dhaka University assistant professor Shehrin Amin Bhuiyan Monami has accused supporters or members of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir of subjecting her to harassment on social media, alleging that she has been repeatedly tagged and targeted with disparaging remarks.
Monami, an assistant professor in the university’s Department of Public Administration, made the allegations in a post published on her verified Facebook page on Friday night, 4 September.
In the post, Monami said she had spent the day moving house and organising her belongings before deciding to check Facebook late at night. She said she then came across posts in which several Dhaka University students had allegedly made offensive comments about female students in their classes.
According to her account, her name had also been included among those being targeted. She said she subsequently obtained details of the student or students involved from another student with the intention of making a complaint.
Monami said she had decided to take whatever measures were available to her from her side, although she indicated that she would have to wait until the morning before taking further action.
She also alleged that the online harassment was continuing, with people repeatedly tagging her, making sarcastic remarks and directing comments at her. She claimed that the individuals involved were Dhaka University students.
The lecturer suggested that political differences may have contributed to the situation. She referred to her previous favourable comments about Chhatra Shibir and questioned whether that position had made her a target of renewed criticism.
Monami further alleged that the harassment was sometimes direct and sometimes indirect. She characterised the behaviour as an attempt to find an issue through which a woman could be targeted, regardless of her identity or views.
Her post also expressed frustration about the fact that she teaches at the university. She questioned why she should continue teaching students whom she believes are involved in such behaviour and said she sometimes feels she needs her job and income badly enough to remain in the profession despite the difficulties.
She also expressed a desire to change jobs, saying that she might do so one day.
The allegations have not, however, been independently verified. The identities of the students allegedly involved were not disclosed in the post, and no response from the accused students was included in the account provided.
The incident highlights wider concerns surrounding the use of social media by university students and staff. Online disputes can quickly become personal, particularly when political affiliations, academic relationships and gender-related issues overlap. Repeated tagging, derogatory comments and targeted online campaigns can also create pressure for those involved, especially when the individuals are part of the same educational institution.
Monami ended her post by saying that she was praying for patience in dealing with the situation.
