Expulsion of 5 KU students stayed for 6 months
The High Court (HC) has stayed for six months Khulna University authorities' expulsion order for five students.
A division bench comprising Justice Mamunur Rahman and Justice Syed Afsar Jahan passed the order on Monday after hearing on a writ petition filed by the five punished students.
The HC division bench has also issued a rule upon the vice chancellor, the pro vice chancellor and the registrar of the university to show cause within next four weeks why the expulsion order should not be withdrawn as it was issued without any lawful authority.
The five writ petitioners are Atiqur Rahman of English discipline, Kauser Parvez of electronics and communication engineering discipline, Shibaji Bagchi of architecture discipline, Israfil Gazi of business administration discipline and Abu Jobair of environmental science.
Writ petitions of seven more students are also under process in the High Court, sources said.
Authorities of the university took punitive action against 34 students on charge of their direct involvement in a fierce clash that took place on the campus on April 5 this year.
As per decision of the academic council, 34 students faced expulsion for different terms and fines of different amounts.
Four of the 34 punished students were expelled permanently from the university.
This decision was taken in the 143rd meeting of the university syndicate held on June 4 following findings on report of the committee formed to probe into the fierce clash on the campus that caused extensive damage to the university property and left over 30 people including 11 policemen injured.
University authorities also imposed ban on the punished students' entrance into the campus.
Over a hundred students of different disciplines including the 34 punished ones went on an indefinite hunger strike from June 13 in protest against the decision of the university authorities.
They withdrew the hunger strike the next day following intervention of Khulna City Corporation Mayor Talukder Abdul Khaleque.
In presence of the hunger strike observers, the vice chancellor told the mayor that the punished students will be fully exempted from expulsion and fines.
But the academic council of the university later commuted the punishment, lessening the terms of expulsion and amounts of fines for the students, instead of its full exemption.
Twelve of the 34 punished students filed writ petitions with the High Court challenging validity of the decision of the academic council of the university.
When contacted, Khulna University Registrar Prof Dr Abdullah-el-Baki said he received a copy of the High Court order yesterday.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel.
Comments