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.

After remaining confined for four hours by the teachers, students over allegations of irregularities in recruitment process Vice-Chancellor of Pabna University of Science Technology, Dr M Rostom Ali was freed on Thursday evening. He was locked in his office room at the university until around 5:30 pm when he was released with the intervention of police, Rowshan Yazdani, Inspector (investigation) of Pabna police station. Police were deployed on the campus after being informed, he said. Also raed: Show-cause notices against 3 teachers: PUST students stage demo Due to his confinement a meeting of the PUST regent board scheduled today could not be held, said D Md Abdul Alim, Associate Professor of Bangla Department.