Teacher Harassed at Chittagong University Campus

A serious incident at the University of Chittagong has sparked widespread concern after a faculty member was allegedly harassed and forcibly taken to the proctor’s office by student leaders during an undergraduate admission examination. The episode, which unfolded around midday on Thursday near the Faculty of Law, has raised troubling questions about campus security, student politics, and the protection of academic staff.

According to eyewitness accounts, the teacher was performing official duties related to the first-year undergraduate admission test when a group led by four Chittagong University Central Students’ Union (CUCSU/Chaksu) leaders confronted him. The situation quickly escalated, with the teacher reportedly chased from the examination centre, physically manhandled, and dragged towards the proctor’s office. During this process, his mobile phone was also searched, allegedly without consent.

The teacher involved has been identified as Hasan Mohammad, an assistant professor in the Department of Law. He is a former assistant proctor and is known on campus for his past association with a section of the “Yellow Group”, a political platform linked to pro-Awami League and left-leaning academics. By mid-afternoon, he remained confined within the proctor’s office, where members of the proctorial body and student representatives continued to examine his mobile phone.

A video of the incident, lasting just over one minute, has circulated widely on social media. The footage shows several students pulling Hasan Mohammad along the campus, with one individual restraining him from behind. Visible in the video are Chaksu Office Secretary Abdullah Al Noman, Library and Cafeteria Secretary Masum Billah, Law and Human Rights Secretary Fazle Rabbi, and executive member Sohanur Rahman. The teacher can be heard shouting as he is eventually placed into an auto-rickshaw and taken away.

In his account from the proctor’s office, Hasan Mohammad stated that fellow teachers and staff warned him that the situation at the examination centre was deteriorating. Upon leaving the venue, he said, student leaders began shouting, prompting him to run in fear. Despite this, he was apprehended, and what he described as a “mob situation” was created against him.

Student leaders, however, have denied allegations of physical assault. Fazle Rabbi claimed that while serving as assistant proctor in the past, Hasan Mohammad had been involved in filing cases against students participating in democratic movements and was allegedly implicated in serious misconduct during the July mass uprising—claims currently under administrative investigation. According to the students, they sought clarification from the dean of the Faculty of Law as to why a teacher under investigation was assigned examination duties. They allege that Hasan Mohammad attempted to flee upon learning of their presence and was injured after falling against a tree.

Hasan Mohammad has firmly rejected these accusations, stating that he neither opposed the July movement nor held any role in punitive actions against students. He emphasised that he did not participate in rallies, committees, or legal actions against any student during his tenure as assistant proctor.

University authorities have offered mixed responses. The coordinator of the ‘B’ Unit admission test, Md Iqbal Shaheen Khan, clarified that under university regulations, a teacher remains eligible for examination duties unless formally dismissed by the syndicate. Proctor Professor Hossain Shahid Sarwardi confirmed that an inquiry is underway. Meanwhile, Acting Registrar Professor Mohammad Saiful Islam acknowledged that Hasan Mohammad’s salary has been withheld following previous allegations and said the circumstances of his examination appointment would be reviewed.

Key Facts at a Glance :

The incident has intensified debate over due process, student authority, and the safety of educators on university campuses, with many calling for transparent investigations and clear boundaries between student activism and administrative accountability.