Lecturer banned after burqa order

By Waliur Rahman
BBC correspondent in Dhaka

A university lecturer in Bangladesh has been banned from taking classes after asking female students to wear burqas, or traditional veils.

Dr Obaidur Rahman, of Jahangirnagar University in Dhaka, admitted asking the women, irrespective of their religious status, to wear the veils.

He now faces a detailed investigation into other allegations of misconduct.

Several student bodies have demonstrated on the campus demanding his immediate removal.

According to students, Dr Rahman, an assistant professor in the physics department, threatened not to take classes on atomic physics if his instructions were not fully respected.

The instruction sparked widespread resentment among students at the university.

Essay

Dr Rahman, who returned to Bangladesh several months ago after completing his doctoral studies in Germany, admitted to senior faculty members he had made the request.

I have no political beliefs - but it's my personal view that female students should wear the burqa Dr Obaidur Rahman

The department chairman, Professor Mir Akramuzzman, said: "Now he has been relieved from taking classes. We have also asked the university authority to initiate an investigation into other allegations against him."

Dr Rahman was also accused of assigning all of his students, including those who are Hindu, to write an essay glorifying the virtues of Allah.

The teacher said he withdrew the original tutorial and asked his students to write something related to physics instead.

"I have no political beliefs - but it's my personal view that female students should wear the burqa," Dr Rahman told the BBC.

"If my instruction hurts anyone, I'm sorry for that and I apologise," he said after meeting the faculty members.

University vice-chancellor Mustahidur Rahman said he was concerned as a teacher had no authority to impose any dress code on students.

He said he had ordered an investigating committee to look into all the allegations and asked it to submit its report by the first week of October.

Officials say that Dr Rahman could lose his job if the allegations are proven.

But some student bodies say the allegations already show serious misconduct and the teacher should be removed immediately.

They said they would continue their protests on the campus until the teacher was sacked.