Former teacher sues RU VC, four others over retirement benefits

A retired teacher of Sheikh Russel Model School, under Rajshahi University, today filed a case against university Vice Chancellor Prof M Abdus Sobhan and four others over not getting her retirement benefits one year after retiring.

Momena Zeenat, also wife of RU former vice chancellor Muhammad Mizanuddin, filed the case with Joint District Judge's court in Rajshahi, said Noor Kamruzzaman Iran, the plaintiff's lawyer.

The plaintiff also made the university a defendant in the case, with RU registrar prof MA Bari being the defendant on behalf of the university, our RU correspondent reports quoting the lawyer.

The three other defendants are RU treasurer professor AKM Mostafizur Rahman, Sheikh Russel Model School principal Lisaiya Mehzabin, and Prof Golam Kabir, director of Institute of Education and Research of the university.

According to the case statement, Momena Zeenat joined at the Sheikh Russel Model School under the university as an assistant teacher on March 1, 1998. She was promoted to vice principal on January 22, 2014 and promoted to Principal on January 22, 2015.  She retired on June 30, 2019.

But she did not get her retirement benefits – totalling Tk 45,71,945. She also wrote an application to the university authorities to solve the matter but did not get any response, said the statement.

The plaintiff's lawyer said Judge Jayanti Rani took cognizance of the case and summoned the defendants to appear before the court on October 19.

The VC and registrar could not be reached over phone despite several attempts.  

Prof Ajijur Rahman, public relations administrator of the university, told journalists that "the university authorities will not talk to the media in this regard. They will submit a report to the court".