The University of Dhaka has formed a new investigation committee to further examine a plagiarism allegation against Dr Md Ridhwanul Haq, a professor at the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), after an initial review found a preliminary basis for the complaint.
The allegation concerns a research paper submitted by Dr Ridhwanul Haq during his application for the position of professor. However, the accused professor has denied the allegation, claiming that the matter had already been resolved by the university’s Board of Governors (BG) and that the renewed complaint was filed out of personal hostility.
Dhaka University Vice-Chancellor Professor A B M Obaidul Islam formed the five-member committee on Tuesday and instructed it to submit its report within 30 working days.
The committee is headed by the dean of the Faculty of Law. Other members include the dean of the Faculty of Science, the university proctor, the principal of Dhaka Medical College, and a representative nominated by Dr Ridhwanul Haq.
The allegation dates back to 2018, when the university’s Board of Governors discussed the appointment process for three vacant professor positions at IBA. During the 113th BG meeting held on August 9, 2018, allegations of plagiarism were raised against a research paper titled “Retesting SERVQUAL Scale Items in Healthcare Service in Bangladesh: A Case Study in a Private Hospital”, which was submitted by two candidates, including Dr Ridhwanul Haque and another applicant, Mustaq Ahmed.
Following the discussion, the BG formed an investigation committee led by the then Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education), with the then Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies and a professor from the Department of Finance as members.
The committee later reported that the research paper submitted in Australia had been considered for publication after revision but was neither finally accepted nor published. It also noted that the relevant journal did not mention a volume number or publication date. Based on these findings, the committee concluded that the allegation of plagiarism was not established.
The decision was later approved unanimously by the Board of Governors under the chairmanship of the then vice-chancellor.
However, allegations have emerged that the matter was later suppressed and has now resurfaced through a fresh complaint.
Speaking about the latest investigation, Dr Ridhwanul Haq said the issue had already been settled through the BG’s decision.
He alleged that during the tenure of the interim government, on July 30 last year, some teachers submitted the complaint again with the intention of harassing him.
He also claimed that the original research paper had three authors, but the renewed complaint mentioned only his name, which he described as an act of personal resentment and hostility.
“According to the BG’s decision, I was completely cleared of the allegation. Eight years have passed since I became a professor. Some vested groups have conspired to damage my reputation by bringing this allegation,” he said.