By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Aligarh: The AMU Teachers’ Association (AMUTA) in an unanimous resolution passed in its emergent meeting of the Executive Committee held late night on 22 August 2014 demanded that the suspension of Professor Hasan Mateenul Islam of Department of Statistics and Operation Research, be revoked immediately and the entire matter must be enquired by a high power committee involving all aspects of his suspension and his office room should be opened without any delay.
According to Dr. Aftab Alam, Hony Secretary AMUTA, the Executive Committee expressed serious concern over the suspension of Dr. Hasan Mateenul Islam and his “further harassment by unwarranted act of sealing of his chamber without any intimation to him denying him a seating place in the Department.”
The Executive Committee also expressed it shock and displeasure on use of institutional might to punish teachers who exhibits any form of dissent on any issue with the university administration and considers it as an attempt to silence the voices of dissent.
The Executive Committee expressed its strongly believe that instead of suppressing dissent, the University administration must respect the diversity of opinions which is sine qua non for a healthy democratic campus and any attempt to throttle the voice of dissent will adversely affect creativity and quest for new ideas, said Dr. Alam.
The suspension of two teachers in a quick succession is unprecedented in the history of AMU and bring the morale of teachers down which will adversely affect the teaching learning process in the university, said Dr. Alam. The sealing of the room of Dr. Hasan Mateenul Islam is not only an affront on his dignity but will also deprive the students to benefit from his long experience of teaching and research, believes Dr. Alam.
Dr. Hasan Mateenul Islam is believed to have been suspended on “cooked up charges” as an act of vendetta after he made a representation to the Hon’ble President of India against the appointment of the Pro-Vice Chancellor which in the opinion of Dr Islam is in clear violation of the UGC Regulation 2010 which prescribes basic qualifications for different teaching and administrative positions in the universities including that of the VC and PVC.
AMU clarifies about suspension of Prof. Islam.
Meanwhile, Dr Rahat Abrar, Public Relations Officer at AMU has issued a statement clarifying the “circumstances leading to the suspension” of Prof. Hasan Mateenul Islam in view of what they termed as “certain misleading observations in a section of the media”.
“Prof. Islam’s suspension is the result not of any act of vendetta on the part of the University, but totally on the basis of serious adverse findings against him in two separate fact-finding enquiries,” Dr Abrar said.
It is mentioned that the action against Prof. Hasan Mateenul Islam is on the basis of two enquiry committee reports highlighting several acts of misdemeanor, violation of rules and willful disobedience on his part.
“The above two separate fact-finding committees were constituted by the Vice Chancellor to probe into the allegations. The fact finding preliminary enquiry on issues related to the appointment of Prof. Hasan Mateenul Islam was conducted by Prof. Ali Athar, Chairman, Department of History and another enquiry on the complaint regarding his consistent acts of misdemeanor, violation of rules and willful disobedience was conducted by two-member committee comprising Prof. Iqbal Parwez, Department of Zoology as Chairman and Prof. Shoaib Zaheer of Department of Medicine as member,” the AMU statement read.
Both the fact-finding enquiry committees upheld the charges against Prof. Hasan Mateenul Islam and found them to be true. The committees have opined that Prof. Hasan Mateenul Islam is blameworthy.
“In view of the prima facie case established by the reports of the two fact-finding enquiry committee, disciplinary proceeding is contemplated against the said teacher. He was placed under suspension, with immediate effect by the Vice Chancellor, Lt. Gen. Zameer Uddin Shah (Retd.),” the PRO said.