IU drops plan to arrange student couple’s marriage in campus

Islamic University has dropped its earlier plan to arrange the marriage of a student couple detained on campus and instead handed them over to their respective families after taking written undertakings from them.

The decision was made at a meeting at the university’s proctor’s office around 11:30pm Saturday (September 26), attended by Proctor Prof Dr Shahinuzzaman, Student Adviser Prof Dr Obaidul Islam, the chair of the Human Resource Management Department and assistant proctors.

Under the decision, the male student was handed over to his family and the female student to hers. The university also decided to recommend that its higher authorities take necessary action over the alleged breach of discipline.

The couple were detained by locals around 8pm Friday near a jackfruit garden beside a madrasa mosque east of the university’s main gate. Members of the university’s proctorial body later took them to the proctor’s office.

University sources said the administration had initially decided, with the students’ written consent and in the presence of their families, to arrange their social marriage on Saturday. Following discussions with both families, however, the administration reversed that decision.

Proctor Shahinuzzaman said the latest decision was taken after discussions with both families. He said the students had been handed over to their families and that the university would recommend action by the higher authorities over the disciplinary issue.