Rafiqul Islam, a former student of Rajshahi University (RU), has regained his student status after 10 years six months of suspension over allegations of forgery.
According to report, Rafiqul admitted in Applied Mathematics department at RU in 2008 and secured his first position in his first-year examination. However, his excellent result became a curse for him at that time while he was made suspected of political affiliation with Islami Chaatra Shibir. The then activists of outlawed Bangladesh Chaatra League (BCL) apprehended him and handed over to police for his alleged affiliation with Shibir.
Later, he was sent to jail for 4 years 7 days from then but he was allowed to sit for academic exams.
Surprisingly Rafiqul had completed his graduation with a brilliant 3.80 CGPA out of 4 which made him first class first in the department.
The development was ongoing when Rafiqul dreaming to be a faculty with brilliant result, however, his student status was cancelled over an allegation of forging in Master’s thesis. Though his Master’s result has yet to be published for more than 10 years.
In 2016, Rafiqul achieved his Master’s degree from Jahangirnagar University with a CGPA 4. Later, he achieved another MSc from China.
According to victim, then professor Dr Md Shamsul Alam Sarker was Rafiqul’s thesis supervisor. However, a faculty Dr Abdul Hoque made an allegation against Dr Shamsul alam that he opened the sealed mark sheets which suspended the MSc result of the department.
Following the allegation, the university’s exam controller office sought explanations and being informed that at least eight faculties stand with publishing the result though two professors Dr Ali Akbor and Dr Md Ashrafuzzaman opposed it.
Based on the development, a probe body was formed and made the decision that the result would be postponed until investigation report.
On August 20, 2015, the probe body sent a show cause notice to Rafiqul with the allegations. Later, on September 14, 2015, then RU authority cancelled his student status.
After the fall of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Rafiqul lodged a complaint to the current vice chancellor of the university on October 30, 2024.
Following the complaint, the authority reviewed it and reinstated Rafiqul’s student status.
The university authority has also given a direction to publish his pending MSc result.
RF/ST
