A group of Dhaka University students forced Awami League-leaning teacher A K M Jamal Uddin to leave the campus after chasing him as he stepped out of the Faculty of Social Sciences’ teachers’ lounge.

Around 1 pm on Thursday, as he and others came out of the building, a group of students led by DUCSU Social Welfare Secretary A B Zubayer began chasing Jamal.

A video circulating on social media shows Zubayer grabbing Jamal’s clothes on the staircase of the Social Sciences Building in an attempt to stop him. In an effort to free himself, Jamal pulled off his hoodie. When he ran down the stairs and tried to escape, Zubayer continued to chase him. Eventually, Jamal got into a car, while Zubayer kept pulling at the car door, attempting to drag him out.

DU student Abdur Rahman said that students had gathered after hearing that several Awami-leaning teachers, including Sociology Department teachers A K M Jamal and Zeenat Huda, were holding a secret meeting in the Faculty of Social Sciences’ teachers’ lounge around noon.

He said, “In July, A K M Jamal Uddin talked about giving students brushfire treatment. He wanted to keep Sheikh Hasina in power for five more years without elections.

“These Awami-leaning teachers even formed a human chain against the students. Zeenat Huda and others were present at a meeting with Hasina at Ganabhaban as representatives of teachers. Students have boycotted them. Students of the department have even locked their office doors,” Abdur Rahman added.

DUCSU Social Welfare Secretary A B Zubayer wrote in a Facebook post, “Awami League’s wicked teacher A K M Jamal, who said the children of so-called self-proclaimed Razakars should be caught and given brushfire, along with Nil Dal leader Zeenat Huda and three other collaborators of fascists, came to campus today and joined a secret meeting. Upon receiving the news, we tried to detain them and hand them over to the police. But unfortunately, the scoundrels escaped in a vehicle they had prepared beforehand!”

He added, “Students of the department have boycotted their classes and exams. Even then, how dare they enter the campus! The administration needs to be more active. There can be no coexistence with killers. They all must be brought under trial immediately.”

Regarding the incident, attempts to contact the university’s Proctor, Professor Saifuddin Ahmed, went unanswered.

A probe committee had been formed to investigate teachers and officials who took a stance against students during the July mass uprising. The committee is headed by Professor Dr Siddiqur Rahman Khan, Dean of the Faculty of Arts.

He said, “The committee hasn’t made much progress. The documents we have are mostly unsigned. We held two meetings. We didn’t get much response from students. We also sent letters to department chairmen, but didn’t receive significant feedback.”

Speaking about an earlier investigation, he added, “I was part of a committee that looked into allegations against several Sociology Department teachers. We submitted that report. It even went to the Syndicate. But I haven’t seen any visible administrative action. Had steps been taken earlier, perhaps unexpected incidents like today’s could have been avoided.”