A Pabna court on Thursday summoned outgoing  Vice-Chancellor of Pabna University of Science Technology (PUST) Dr M Rostom Ali in a defamation case. Dr Awal Kabir Joy, proctor, regent board member and former president of PUST Teachers’ Association, filed the Tk 50 crore defamation case at Pabna Judicial Magistrate cognisance court-1. Magistrate Md Saiful Islam took the case into cognisance and summoned Dr M Rostom Ali. Read: Court accepts charges against expelled Jubo League leader Samrat Plaintiff’s lawyer advocate Abdul Aziz and Chowdhury Razia Sultana Tultuli said the case was filed under section 500 of the Penal Code that says, “Whoever defames another shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, or with fine, or with both.” According to the complaint, On December 23, 2019, accused Dr M Rostom Ali  did not allow the plaintiff to enter a regent board meeting after inviting him by sending a letter through the university’s registrar abusing his power. The accused also harassed the plaintiff in the name of probe committee and left the campus secretly before the end of his tenure as PUST VC without giving any report. Read: Home Minister warns against violence during Left Alliance's hartal Dr Awal Kabir Joy said, “ Such activities of Dr M Rostom Ali defamed, and harmed me personally, professionally and socially. Hopefully I’ll get justice.” Meanwhile Dr Rostom Ali disconnected the call when the UNB reporter tried to get his comment regarding the case over phone.

A Pabna Court on Wednesday sentenced ten people to life term imprisonment for killing a 19-year-old youth in Pabna's Bhangura upazila in 2009. The lifers, along with their age at the time of the crime, are: Pravash Chandra Das, 18, Shahin Hossain, 21, Shafiqul Islam, 21, Saddam Hossain, 20, Abdul Karim, 45, Prince, 20, Farid Ahmed, 22, Bilkis Begum, 40, Yusuf Ali, 22, and Dulal Hossain, 20. All are residents of Choubaria area of the upazila. READ: Bangladesh assumes IORA chairmanship; eyes inclusive development Pabna Special District and Sessions Judge Ahsan Tareq handed down the verdict. According to the case, Md Faruk Hossain of the village, was called out by someone on the night of August 24, 2009. Later, he was found dead. READ: Fuel prices hiked in line with global market: PM Following the incident, the victim's mother Anwara Begum filed a complaint accusing 18-20 people. Police submitted the charge-sheet accusing 10 people.