JU student's certificates suspended over rape allegations

The authorities of Jahangirnagar University (JU) have suspended the academic certificates of a former student over allegedly luring a female student to a house near the campus, confined her and raped her.

A press release, signed by JU’s acting director of Public Relations Office Mohammad Mohiuddin, was issued in this regard on Saturday night, February 28.

The accused, SM Tariqul Islam, was a student of the 44th batch of the Institute of Information Technology (IIT).

According to the press release, the complainant, a female student of the 53rd batch in the department of Public Administration, reported that Tariqul Islam forcibly took her from Bir Protik Taramon Bibi Hall to his rented residence in Islamnagar, restrained her, and subjected her to inhuman physical and mental abuse, including sexual assault.

The decision to suspend all certificates of the accused, covering both undergraduate (honours) and postgraduate programmes, was taken during an emergency administrative meeting chaired by Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan.

The university authorities, however, formed a six-member investigation committee, led by Biological Sciences Faculty Dean Professor Mohammad Mafrohi Sattar.

The other members of the committee are Professor Dr Md Sohel Rana (Department of Pharmacy), Professor Dr Khandaker Mohammad Shariful Huda (Department of Geography and Environment), Professor Dr Mirza Taslima Sultana (Department of Anthropology), Professor Dr Nasreen Sultana (Department of Government and Politics), and Deputy Registrar Lutfar Rahman Arif as Member Secretary.

Rakib Hasan Pranto/MHK