AUST teacher admits harassing students

Mahfuzur Rashid Ferdous, a teacher of the Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology (AUST), today confessed before a Dhaka court that he sexually harassed his female students.

Metropolitan Magistrate Kazi Kamrul Islam recorded his confessional statement under Section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) in the case.

Earlier in the day, Afroz Irene Koli, sub-inspector of Women Support and Investigation Division of Kalabagan Police Station and investigation officer (IO) of the case, produced him before the court on completion of a two-day remand, seeking the court order to send him to jail.

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Following the petition, the court recorded his confessional statement and ordered to send him to jail.

The AUST authorities suspended Ferdous, an associate professor of electrical engineering and the assistant proctor of the university, on April 30 after days of protest on the university campus.

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On May 4, Ferdous was arrested from his Eskaton apartment following a case filed by an AUST alumnus. The same day, the court of Metropolitan Magistrate Delwar Hussain placed him on a two-day remand rejecting his bail prayer in a case filed with Kalabagan Police Station.

On May 6, five AUST female students, who allegedly fell victim of sexual harassment by their teacher Ferdous, testified before separate courts in Dhaka in connection with the case.

The five victims, all students of the Department of Electrical & Electronic Engineering of the university, made their depositions under Section 22 of the Women and Children Repression Prevention Act.