Rajshahi College’s newly-appointed principal resigns within 2.5 hrs of joining

Amid student protests, Rajshahi College’s newly-appointed principal, Professor Md Anarul Haque, resigned from his post this afternoon, just two and a half hours after he joined office.
Anarul stepped down from his post at 2:30pm after students confined him in his office, demanding immediate resignation, reports our Rajshahi staff correspondent.
Witnesses said, Anarul went to the college to take charge of his office at 11:20am today but the students did not allow him to enter the administrative building.
About fifteen minutes later, leaders and activists of Chhatra Dal, student wing of BNP, entered the college and welcomed Professor Anarul, resulting in an altercation with the protesting students.
At 12:00pm, Anarul, accompanied by members of Bangladesh Army, Border Guard Bangladesh, police, and JCD men, entered the administrative building and took charge of his office.
Several hundred students then took position in front of the college’s administrative building, demanding Anarul’s immediate resignation.
On September 9, the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the education ministry appointed Shahid Buddhijibi Govt College, Rajshahi’s principal Prof Anarul as the new principal of Rajshahi College.
The following day, a group of students declared Professor Anarul “persona-non-grata” on the college campus and vowed to resist the latter to join his office at any costs. Due to the students’ ongoing protests, Anarul could not join his office till Monday.
Mohuya Zannat, one of the students who were agitating today, said the Anti-Corruption Commission filed a case against Anarul for embezzling Tk 18 lakh from Rajshahi Education Board during his tenure as the controller of examinations under 2016-2017 fiscal years.
“As the allegation of embezzling the money was proved, Professor Anarul then deposited the embezzled money to the education board’s fund and was then acquitted of the case,” she said.
Mohuya Zannat alleged that Anarul also attempted to become the chairman of the education board.
“When he failed to become the board chairman, Awami League presidium member and former Rajshahi City Corporation mayor AHM Khairuzzaman Liton made him the principal of Shahid Buddhijibi Govt College,” she said, adding that they did not want any corrupt teacher and friend of the ousted autocratic government as their principal.
After Anarul submitted his resignation letter to the college vice-principal Professor Md Ibrahim Ali, he left the college under police protection.
Contacted, JCD Rajshahi College unit convener Khalid Bin Walid Abir said they welcomed Professor Anarul Haque as the teachers, officials, and students had been facing various problems in absence of a principal.
“We welcomed and helped him join the office for the benefit of the college. We want the college to run as per the law,” he added.
Earlier, amid student protests, Rajshahi College’s former principal Professor Md Abdul Khaleque stepped down from his post on August 12, citing personal problems.