We strongly condemn the incident of forcibly cutting students' hair by a teacher at Rabindra University in Sirajganj. Farhana Yasmin Baten, Assistant Proctor and Chairperson of Department of History, Culture and Bangladesh Studies of the university cut off 14 students’ hair while they were entering examination hall to appear for a first year final test on political science. It is a very unfortunate and unexpected incident that is completely inconsistent with the values and ethics of a university teacher.
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Holding a pair of scissors Farhana Yasmin stood vigil at the entrance of examination hall and was seen cutting off students’ hair one after another. However, when some aggrieved students were staging demonstration, Farhana Yasmin appeared there and verbally abused the protesters. On top of that, she forced the students to sit for the test, saying they would not be promoted otherwise.
Such incident of humiliation
and harassment by a university
teacher is unacceptable
Since March 16 last year, university students were out of their respective campuses till September 27 due to Covid-19 pandemic. As the educational institutions had remained closed for 18 months, the threat of severe session jam is already looming large on universities.
After about 18 months shut when the students of Rabindra University returned to their campus, they faced such humiliations instead of receiving love and affection from a teacher. Reportedly, such humiliation led a first-year student of the department to take an attempt to commit suicide by taking sleeping pills.
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Indeed, such incident of humiliation and harassment by a university teacher in a civilised society is unacceptable. We hope the university authority will take immediate steps in order to bring the academic atmosphere on the campus and assure the agitating students of providing all sort of support and cooperation.
