VC Removed Amid Sexual Harassment Investigation

The government has removed Professor Dr. Amir Hossain Bhuiyan, the Vice-Chancellor of Jamalpur Science and Technology University (JABIPROBI), who was facing allegations of sexual harassment, obscene comments, body shaming, and mental harassment of students. As a result, he will now return to his original position in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Jahangirnagar University. Appointed in his place is Professor Dr. Md. Amir Hossain from the Department of Genetics and Plant Breeding at Bangladesh Agricultural University.

The Ministry of Education issued a notification on Saturday removing him and appointing a new VC. On the same day, Professor Dr. Borhan Uddin of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at Jahangirnagar University was appointed Pro-VC of Dhaka Central University, while Professor Dr. Mahfuzur Rahman, Pro-VC of the same university, was removed.

According to sources at the University Grants Commission (UGC), in light of the sexual harassment allegations against Dr. Amir Hossain Bhuiyan and the recommendations of a fact-finding committee, a committee led by a retired Brigadier General was formed to determine what action could be taken against him. The committee included a VC and a UGC director. The committee was scheduled to begin its formal work after the Eid-ul-Azha holiday. Prior to that Dr. Amir's appointment was terminated.

A member of the committee said the sexual harassment allegations against him are largely proven. Now, once the formal investigation report is submitted, administrative action could be taken against him based on the recommendations of the sexual harassment cell. He was removed before that. However, he may not yet be absolved of the main accusations.

On September 29, 2024, students of the 47th batch of the Department of Environmental Sciences at Jahangirnagar University submitted a written complaint against Dr. Amir Hossain to the departmental head. The complaint mentioned that during classes, he made objectionable comments about female students' clothing, personal relationships, and their activities on social media.

Additionally, allegations were made of taunts about students' personal lives, body shaming, discouragement in research, discrimination in grading, and academic pressure when opinions differed.

After the complaint, the university administration first formed a fact-finding committee led by Professor Dr. Irene Akhter, Director of IBA, to investigate the matter. That committee submitted a report after completing a preliminary investigation. After finding prima facie truth to some allegations in the report, a structured committee was formed for a higher-level investigation under the leadership of the VC.

According to UGC sources, another committee was recently formed to investigate the matter, and their formal activities were supposed to begin after the Eid holiday. However, before the investigation could fully commence, he was removed from his current responsibilities and appointed VC of another university.