Fake Faculty Furore: Professors Protest False Attribution After Sheikh Hasina Verdict
Shortly after the International Crimes Tribunal announced the death sentence of former Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina—who had been deposed in a public uprising and is currently absconding—for her role as an instigator in the crimes against humanity committed during the July mass uprising, news began circulating on several websites on the afternoon of 17 November claiming: “1,001 teachers protest the verdict against Sheikh Hasina.”
The statement was circulated in the media under the name “Progressive Teachers of Bangladesh Public Universities.”
Although the statement—signed by Dr Mahbub Alam Pradeep, Associate Professor of Public Administration at Rajshahi University—claimed that 1,001 teachers from various universities had signed it, the list actually contained only 659 names. Many of those whose names appeared expressed surprise after seeing themselves included.
Several teachers posted on Facebook the same night, declaring that they had no involvement with the statement.
Among them, Fazlul Halim, a faculty member of the International Relations department at Jahangirnagar University, wrote on his Facebook profile:
“Jahangirnagar University is my workplace. I am not involved in any form of teacher politics. I noticed a statement circulating on social media containing names of faculty from various universities, in which my name was included. I clearly state that my name was used without my permission or consent. I was not informed about the statement. Therefore, including my name is completely unauthorized. I request my well-wishers not to be misled.”
Professor Anwar Said, Chair of the Bangla Department at the University of Chittagong, posted:
“A statement with a list of teachers’ names has gone viral on some online portals and social media. I have no involvement with this statement. I protest the conspiratorial inclusion of my name.”
Professor Dr Md Anwarul Islam of the History Department wrote on his Facebook ID:
“With deep regret, I inform that our names were used conspiratorially in a statement relating to the tribunal’s verdict. To our knowledge, we neither signed nor discussed anything about such a statement. This has disappointed us. We have no association with the dirty and polluted politics of the past.”
Likewise, several others whose names appeared on the list—including Naeem Uddin Hasan Aurangazeb (Economics, University of Chittagong), Professor Bashir Ahmed (Islamic History and Culture), Professor SM Monirul Hasan (Sociology), Professor Helal Uddin Nizami, former Dean of Business Administration, Professor Habibur Rahman and Professor Dr Omar Faruq, President and General Secretary of Rajshahi University Teachers’ Association, Professor Sayedur Rahman (Public Administration, Jahangirnagar University), and Professor Abdullah Kafi (International Relations, Jahangirnagar University)—also confirmed to fact-checking platform The Descent that they had not signed the statement.
However, Dr Satesh Chandra Bachar, a Dhaka University professor and former Pro-VC, acknowledged that he did sign the statement.
Meanwhile, Bibhash Baroi, editor and publisher of BahannoNews, which first published the report, stated that the source was “a teachers’ organization,” although he did not specify the name. The report was later removed from their website.
DBTech/DS/MUIM/OR
