Professor Dr Ershad Halim of Dhaka University’s Chemistry Department has been sent to jail and relieved of all academic and administrative responsibilities following the rejection of his bail petition, in a case filed over sexual harassment and assault of a male student.
Metropolitan Magistrate Mahbub Alam issued the order on Friday.
The University administration removed Professor Halim from his duties indefinitely, acting upon a written complaint from students of the Chemistry Department.
Faculty of Science Dean Professor Dr Abdus Salam confirmed the decision was made after the department’s academic committee sent a proposal to the vice-chancellor.
The accused was arrested from his Shewrapara residence by Mirpur Model Police Station around 11pm on Thursday. During Friday’s hearing, the Investigation Officer, SI Mehedi Hasan Milon requested that Prof Halim be sent to jail.
The professor’s lawyer, Shyamal Kumar Roy, argued for bail, claiming his client was falsely implicated and that no medical certificate existed to substantiate the allegations. The court rejected this plea after hearing both sides.
According to the case documents, the victim, a regular student of the 2022-23 academic session in the Chemistry Department, had contacted Professor Halim on September 26 regarding an issue with his Physics Minor lab exam.
The professor assured resolution and invited the student to his West Shewrapara residence.
The student visited the residence on 27 September morning, where the alleged sexual assault occurred.
The accused subsequently threatened the student against disclosing the incident. Despite further pressure and abusive phone calls from the professor, including demands to return to his residence, the student initially avoided further contact.
However, fearing academic consequences and potential impact on his ailing father, the student eventually visited the professor’s residence again on 14 October around 12:30am, where he was physically assaulted and subjected to further sexual abuse, resulting in loss of consciousness.
The professor later transported him back to campus premises using a university bus.
A case was filed at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Police Station on Friday based on these incidents. Prosecution SI Rafiqul Islam confirmed that Prof Halim has been sent to jail.
