Amid student protests, Farhana Yeasmin Baten, assistant proctor of Rabindra University, has quit three posts over her alleged involvement in trimming the hair of its 16 students as punishment and subsequent ‘suicide attempt’ by one of them.

Farhana quit the three positions of assistant proctor, head of Cultural Heritage and Bangladesh Studies Department and syndicate member—and submitted resignation letters on Tuesday night.

Earlier, the university authorities formed a five-member committee to probe the incident, said treasurer and acting vice-chancellor of the university Abdul Latif.

According to some students of the department, Farhana asked the first-year students of the department to trim their hair. All but 16 students did not comply with her instruction as per the advice.

On Sunday, while they were entering the examination halls to sit for their final exams, the teacher instructed an office assistant to trim the hair of the 16 students and he did it accordingly, the students alleged.

Protesting the incident, the students boycotted the examination held on Monday and it went viral on social media following the student protest.

The students also formed a human chain at the university’s temporary campus-1 in Shahzadpur Mohila Degree College area on Monday, where the assistant proctor showed up and instructed them to wrap up their protests or get failed in the exams.

Unable to bear the humiliation, Nazmul Hasan Tuhin, 25, a student of the department and a resident of Magura district, consumed sleeping pills on Monday in an effort to take his own life.

He was undergoing treatment at Enayetpur Khaza Yunus Ali Medical College and Hospital.

However, Farhana denied the allegation and claimed that it is propaganda against her as she did not defer the exam as per the request of a few students.

Contacted, additional treasurer of the university Abdul Latif said they have no idea what the issue is, and there has been no written complaint in this regard.