The office of the newly appointed principal of Rangpur Medical College Professor Mahfuzar Rahman was locked on Thursday morning amid protests from a faction of doctors, staff, and students.
Protesters placed a banner across the principal’s locked door, reading: "No place on this campus for former vice principal Mahfuzar Rahman, who distorted the postmortem report of martyr Abu Sayed, a dictator’s ally, and sponsor of the banned Chhatra League."
Shariful Islam Mondal, an associate professor in the Department of Medicine and vocal critic of the new principal, said: "We reject the health directorate’s decision. Mahfuzar has ties with the previous administration and sponsored the Chhatra League on campus. He must leave."
In response, Prof Mahfuzar Rahman said: "I was appointed as principal by the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) in a letter issued on October 29. I took charge yesterday (Wednesday), and today my office is locked. These accusations are unfounded. I served as vice principal under the previous administration and faced discrimination. This protest is merely an attempt by a clique to stir up trouble."
On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, through a letter signed by Deputy Secretary Muhammad Maqbul Hossain, reassigned former principal Shah Md Sarwar Jahan as Officer on Special Duty (OSD) and appointed Mahfuzr Rahman as principal, with Associate Professor Anwar Hossain as the new vice principal.
