JU teacher Johnny sacked over sexual harassment

The authorities of Jahangirnagar University (JU) sacked a teacher for sexually harassing a female teacher candidate and several academic irregularities.

The terminated teacher is Mahmudur Rahman Johnny, assistant professor of the Public Health and Informatics department of the university, also the former Chhatra League president of the university unit.

This decision was made in a special syndicate meeting on Tuesday presided over by JU Vice-Chancellor Prof Nurul Alam.

After the syndicate meeting, Abu Hasan, the registrar of the university, told the media that Mahmudur Rahman Johnny was unanimously dismissed from the job following a recommendation of the probe committee.

In 2022, a leaked audio conversation between Mahmudur Rahman Jony, the then assistant proctor of JU, and a female teacher candidate revealed that Jony forced the aspirant to abort, following an intimate-relation that built in the name of getting her a faculty position.

After that, the JU administration formed a preliminary committee to investigate whether Jony committed such crimes using his position. The committee found Jony’s involvement in support of the allegation. It also revealed that the teacher had given another female student ‘extra marks’, who was doing thesis under him.

As per the investigation, the female student, later, secured a faculty position at JU public health and informatics department and currently, serving the department as a lecturer.

Following the findings, JU terminated Jony from assistant proctor post.

Meanwhile, leftist teachers and students launched a series of protest programmes on the campus demanding fire of Jony, as he ‘lost’ his moral ground to continue teaching.

Bangladesh Mahila Parishad submitted a memorandum to the University Grants Commission seeking action against Jony on the allegation of sexual harassment on February 9, 2023.

The UGC on March 3, 2023, asked the JU administration to inform it of action was taken against Jony.

Later, JU formed a committee to take final action against Jony following preliminary findings in support of the allegation.

Meanwhile, the protest, demanding fire of Jony, reached its peak when a housewife was raped on JU campus on February 2 by a Bangladesh Chhatra League leader of the university unit.