JnU Student Union Executive Served Show-Cause Notice Over Facebook Post

Jagannath University has issued a show-cause notice to Central Students' Union Executive Member Md. Zahid Hasan following a Facebook post in which he claimed that repeated attempts to contact the Vice-Chancellor regarding the continuation or suspension of classes and examinations during severe waterlogging on campus had gone unanswered.

On Monday, 13 July, according to the university's Proctor Office, a notice sent through the Chair of the Department of English directed Zahid Hasan to appear before the Proctor Office at 10:00 am on 14 July and submit a written explanation. The notice describes his Facebook post as defamatory toward the university administration and the Vice-Chancellor.

In the post, Zahid Hasan said the student union had requested that classes and examinations be moved online or temporarily suspended because of the adverse weather conditions. He claimed that despite making several phone calls and sending messages to the Vice-Chancellor to learn the administration's decision, no response was received. He also attached screenshots showing call logs and messages.

He further wrote that it was the responsibility of the student union to draw the administration's attention to students' concerns, while decisions regarding academic activities rested with the university administration. Therefore, he argued, the student union should not be held responsible for the final decision.

Reacting to the notice, Zahid Hasan said he believed he had been asked to explain because he had publicly presented evidence while seeking accountability on behalf of students. He also alleged that the administration had previously shown delays in addressing issues including the renovation of the Teachers-Students Centre and the university cafeteria, adding that treating advocacy for students' interests as a punishable matter was unfortunate.

Commenting on the matter, University Proctor Professor Dr. Mohammad Nasir Uddin said the notice was issued because of a Facebook post considered defamatory and that a copy of the post had been preserved by the Proctor Office. However, he did not specify which parts of the post were regarded as defamatory.

The Proctor also said that because Zahid Hasan could not be reached by phone during the day, the notice was sent through his department. He added that the specific concerns raised by the administration would be explained after Zahid appeared before the Proctor Office and the preserved copy of the post was reviewed.
//DBTech/KK/SI//