Bangladesh university punishes staff over 2024 protest crackdown
Jahangirnagar University sanctioned 13 employees over attacks on anti-government protesters while clearing eight others
DHAKA, Bangladesh (MNTV) — One of Bangladesh’s largest public universities has disciplined 13 teachers and officials accused of attacking and harassing students during the country’s 2024 mass uprising, in a move seen as part of broader efforts to address abuses committed during the protests that toppled the previous government.
Jahangirnagar University, located on the outskirts of the capital Dhaka, announced the decisions after a marathon syndicate meeting that lasted nearly 13 hours. University authorities said they reviewed investigation findings into incidents that took place on July 14, 15 and 17 last year, when anti-government demonstrations swept campuses across Bangladesh.
The protests, initially sparked by opposition to a controversial public sector job quota system, evolved into a nationwide uprising against the government of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Universities became major centers of resistance, and students accused pro-government groups and some university administrators of using intimidation and violence to suppress dissent.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan said each accused individual was separately heard during multiple sessions and that testimonies and evidence had been examined to ensure accountability without punishing innocent people.
Among the most severe penalties, Associate Professor Mehedi Iqbal of the Geography and Environment Department was forced into compulsory retirement. Former Proctor Professor Alamgir Kabir was demoted to the entry level of his pay scale and barred from holding administrative responsibilities for five years.
Former Pro-Vice Chancellor Professor Mohammad Mostafa Firuz was downgraded to a lower pay grade and prohibited from administrative duties for five years. Several other faculty members received warnings, salary reductions, cancellation of annual increments, demotions or temporary bans from administrative posts.
At the same time, the university cleared eight teachers and one official of wrongdoing after determining that available evidence did not support the allegations against them.
The syndicate also ordered fresh investigations into the roles of three of the university’s most senior former administrators, including the then vice-chancellor, pro-vice-chancellor for administration, and treasurer, whose names appeared in preliminary findings related to the campus violence.
The disciplinary measures reflect continuing efforts in Bangladesh to reckon with the legacy of the 2024 uprising, which reshaped the country’s political landscape and triggered demands for accountability from institutions accused of siding with the authorities during the unrest.
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