Bangladesh News

The three Dhaka University (DU) teachers convicted in connection with the August, 2007 campus unrest and then released on presidential clemency filed separate appeals yesterday challenging their conviction.

Prof Sadrul Amin, president of Dhaka University Teachers’ Association (Duta), Prof Anwar Hossain, general secretary of Duta and Prof Harun-or-Rashid, dean of the DU Social Science Faculty, filed the appeals at the court of Metropolitan Sessions Judge Mohammad Azizul Haque.

After a long hearing, the judge accepted the appeals and fixed April 2 for the next hearing.

Moving the appeals, advocates Masud Ahmed Talukder, Shafiul Bashar Bhandari, Mosleuddin Jasim and Abdul Mannan Khan told the court that they filed the appeals against the conviction order but not against the president’s order.

The president’s order only ensured that the teachers would not have to serve jail terms and their conviction was not cancelled, the lawyers said adding that the teachers would be unfit to contest any election if their conviction is not quashed.

The lawyers cited different decisions and rulings of the higher courts, which would help the trial court to admit the appeals for hearing.

Opposing the appeals, Metropolitan Public Prosecutor Ehsanul Haque Samaji told the court that the appeals would not be maintainable at this stage, as they had come to a higher court against the president’s order.

Convicts can go only to the High Court as the president had exercised his constitutional power, he added.

On January 22, 2008, Third Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Golam Rabbani sentenced the teachers to two years’ rigorous imprisonment each for violating Emergency Power Rules (EPR) in August last year over the violence on the campus.

The three were released from the prison the same day after President Iajuddin Ahmed pardoned them.

The court acquitted Prof Neem Chandra Bhowmik and 15 students, as charges brought against them were not proved.