‘I was not given a chance to explain my position’: DU teacher Tasneem Siraj Mahboob

Dhaka University (DU) Associate Professor Tasneem Siraj Mahboob has protested the decision to reassign all her courses to other teachers following allegations that she insulted a student wearing a niqab in a classroom, saying she was not given an opportunity to explain her position.

Speaking during a Facebook Live on Saturday, Tasneem called for an impartial investigation and clear institutional guidelines on identity verification in classrooms that respect religious beliefs, personal dignity and privacy.

“If identity verification is necessary, it should be carried out under clear institutional guidelines that respect religious beliefs, personal dignity and privacy,” she said.

On Thursday (October 8), allegations emerged that Tasneem had called a female student wearing a niqab a “fundamentalist and terrorist” during a class for final-semester master's students.

Following a written complaint from students, the Department of English's academic committee held an emergency meeting and decided to redistribute her ongoing courses among other teachers.

In her Facebook Live, Tasneem said the student's face, including her eyes, was fully covered, making it difficult for her to identify the student and assess her engagement with the lesson.

She said she had neither forced the student to answer questions nor asked her to remove her niqab or leave the classroom.

“My remarks were about covering the eyes, not against the hijab, burqa or niqab,” she said, adding that she had shared her interpretation of religious texts on modest clothing and keeping the face visible.

Tasneem said she later learned that the student had left the classroom feeling hurt by her remarks. She claimed she tried to apologise, asking another female student to call the student three times and waiting in the corridor for about 10 minutes. However, she could not meet the student in person, she said.

“I never want anyone to be hurt by my words,” she said.

The teacher also claimed she had received anonymous phone calls, emails, offensive messages and threats following the incident. She urged the university authorities to allow her to respond to the allegations and ensure a fair investigation.

“A classroom should be a respectful and safe place for both students and teachers,” she said.

However, Professor Taziz Aziz Choudhury, chairperson of the Department of English, told Daily Waadaa that the academic committee had been convened to address the situation after receiving complaints from students.

According to Taziz, Tasneem sent a message saying she was ill just five minutes before the meeting began, despite prior notices and emails informing committee members about the meeting and its agenda.

Of the department's 19 teachers, 16 attended the meeting, while Tasneem was among three who were absent, she said.

Taziz added that more than 100 students from one batch had submitted a signed letter stating they would not attend classes with Tasneem. Students had also sent complaints to the vice-chancellor, pro-vice-chancellor, proctor and dean, she said.

The chairperson said six to seven teachers had spoken with students following the incident and that the issue had reached the media before the committee meeting.

“Under these circumstances, what else could we have done?” she said.

Taziz said the committee decided to reassign Tasneem's only ongoing course in response to the students' written demand and their firm position against attending her classes.

She acknowledged that the department was facing a severe teacher shortage, with many faculty members already teaching three courses each. Assigning another course to a colleague was not ideal, she said, but the department had no alternative under the circumstances.