Passed yet not passed

A freedom fighter's aspirations to become a lawyer were muffled as he was shown failed in the LLB examination by the Rajshahi University authorities. But at last the indomitable spirit of the freedom fighter prevailed as he obtained the certificate after a 13-year-long legal battle with the university authorities.

However, as his physical condition deteriorated due to old age, he could not embark on the journey as a lawyer. Being aggrieved, the valiant freedom fighter is now continuing legal battle against the university authorities to get compensated for the loss.

The 71-year-old freedom fighter Munshi Mohiuddin Ahmed, a resident of Harinath Dutta Lane in Jashore Town, sat for LLB examination from Shaheed Mashiur Rahman Law College of Jashore affiliated with Rajshahi University (RU) in 1985.

But he found that he couldn't pass the examination as he got one mark shorter than required. Challenging the results, he applied to the university authorities to reevaluate his answer sheet.

Following his prayer, the answer sheet was reevaluated and some flaws of the two examiners, who had evaluated the copy earlier, were found.

But the university authorities did not publish the result. Rather an inquiry committee was formed by the university authorities to look into reason behind the mistakes. The probe body suggested that the two teachers be kept out of examination assessment job for 12 and seven years.

Later in the same year in 1988, Munshi Mohiuddin Ahmed filed a case with the district assistant judge court seeking directive on publishing his result. Around two years later, the court issued order on RU authorities to publish his results.

Challenging the directive, the RU authorities filed an appeal with Jashore District Judge Court which scrapped the appeal in 1993 and ordered the university to publish the result.

In the same year in 1993, the university authorities filed a Civil Revision Petition with the High Court Division. Later in 1999, a High Court bench headed by the then Justice ABM Khairul Haque, who was later became chief justice, rejected the petition and asked the university to publish the result.

 Following the HC directive, the RU authorities on March 29, 2001, published the result which showed Munshi Mohiuddin Ahmed had passed the LLB.

Later on November 15 last year, the freedom fighter filed a petition with the High Court seeking compensation for long delay in publishing his result.

 Following his petition, the High Court on November 21 last year issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to show causes why the victim would not be paid Tk 30 lakhs as compensation for long delay to publish his academic result.

 Education Ministry's Secretary, Rajshahi University's Vice-Chancellor (VC), its Registrar and Examination Controller have been made respondents of the rule.

 The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman issued the rule asking the respondents to show cause within four weeks, said the freedom fighter's lawyer Mohammad Shisir Monir.

 Later in March this year, the university authorities replied the show cause.

 But The Daily Star could not know the content of the reply letter.

 Contacted, the university's Vice-Chancellor Professor Golam Shabbir Sattar, Examinations Controller Md Alamgir Hossain Sarkar and registrar Prof Abdus Salam denied making any comment on the matter.

They suggested that the university's legal cell be contacted to obtain information on the matter.

Contacted over phone, the cell's administrator Dr Shahin Zohora asked the correspondent to talk to another officer of the cell.

A man, who identified himself as an officer of the legal cell but denied to disclose his name, said the university authorities replied court's show cause notice in March.

 However, the man did not elaborate what the university authorities said in their reply.

 Rather, the man told The Daily Star that the freedom fighter's all the claims were not true.

 The freedom fighter's son Asif Sahriar Ahmed Sommya said, "My father is very sick and bedridden. We need a huge amount of money to run the treatment. If we get the compensation, we will be able to provide better treatment to my father."

"We will take further legal steps over the matter," he added.