Rajshahi Medical University Vice-Chancellor Dr Jawadul Haque was allegedly forced to sign a resignation letter and leave his office after a group of local contractors and outsiders entered the university premises and created a mob on Tuesday.
The incident took place at around 11.30am on 6 October at the Vice-Chancellor’s office. Dr Haque said the group entered his office without his consent and confronted him over allegations that university work was being awarded to contractors from Dhaka instead of local contractors.
According to Dr Haque, some of those involved were local contractors and outsiders with political backing. During the confrontation, they raised slogans against him and labelled him an ‘Awami League stooge’. The situation subsequently escalated, leading to what the Vice-Chancellor described as coercion to obtain his signature on a resignation letter.
After his signature was taken, Dr Haque was allegedly forced out of the office. The group then locked the office from outside, preventing him from returning to his workplace.
Dr Haque has informed the local administration about the incident, according to his account.
The dispute appears to have centred on the allocation of university contracts. The group reportedly alleged that local contractors were being denied work while contractors based in Dhaka were being given opportunities instead. However, details of the specific contracts in question, the selection process and the evidence supporting those allegations were not immediately available.
The identities and affiliations of all those who entered the Vice-Chancellor’s office were also not immediately established. Dr Haque described some of them as politically backed local contractors and outsiders, but further independent verification would be required to establish their individual roles.
The circumstances surrounding the resignation are likely to become a key issue following the incident. Dr Haque has said that he was compelled to sign the resignation letter, raising questions over whether the document can be regarded as a voluntary resignation.
Universities generally have formal administrative procedures for addressing disputes involving senior officials, procurement decisions and allegations concerning the distribution of institutional work. A confrontation inside the Vice-Chancellor’s office and the alleged use of collective pressure to secure a resignation could therefore have wider implications for the university’s administrative functioning.
The immediate impact on the university’s day-to-day administration was not clear. It also remained uncertain how the authorities would treat the resignation letter and whether any formal inquiry would be initiated into the incident.
The local administration had been informed of the matter by the Vice-Chancellor, but no detailed official statement was immediately available. Further statements from the university and the authorities may clarify the circumstances leading to Dr Haque’s departure, the allegations over contracting decisions and the status of his resignation.
