‘MP did not assault me’ | Says college principal in presence of the lawmaker; eminent citizens demand probe
Published on July 15, 2022
Sitting next to lawmaker Omor Faruk Chowdhury, college principal Salim Reza yesterday told reporters that he was not assaulted by the MP on July 7.
Omor then asked journalists to give him back the reputation he had lost because of the assault allegations.
During the press conference at a packed room in Omor Theme Plaza, a property owned by the MP, the principal of Rajbari Degree College read out a statement.
"The allegation against MP Omor Faruk Chowdhury was fabricated to tarnish his image and [reduce his] popularity ahead of the [ruling] party's council on July 15… We, the principals, had an argument and shoved each other. I got minor injuries from falling on furniture," he said.
Salim then repeated what Omor said the day before: It was the MP who stopped the fight.
Abdul Awal, principal of Matikata College, who also addressed the event, said he and Salim were arguing about something when "I couldn't take a word he uttered during the argument and pushed him and I am sorry for that".
When reporters asked Salim why he had a black eye and requested him to show his arms, he quickly removed his hands from the table.
"I received minor injuries during the chaos."
As reporters said they wanted to talk to Salim with no one else around, the MP said, "He is in trauma. He can't speak alone."
The lawmaker then asked his men to escort the principal to his chamber.
In his reaction to the event, Shafikur Rahman Badsha, president of Rajshahi unit of Bangladesh College Teachers' Association, said he was surprised by the principal's statement because "the principal himself told me that he was assaulted by the lawmaker… It is clear that he is doing this now fearing further humiliation.
"His statement served the lawmaker's interest… The statement appears to be written by the lawmaker," he said.
Omor held the press conference amid reports that he assaulted Salim on July 7 when several college principals went to his chamber to meet him.
The National University on Wednesday formed a committee to investigate the allegations.
Meanwhile, 24 eminent citizens expressed concerns over the alleged assault and demanded judicial investigation into it.
The signatories include Sultana Kamal, Rasheda K Chowdhury, Pankaj Bhattachariya, Ramendu Majumdar, Sarwar Ali, Rana Das Gupta, Fauzia Moslem, Khushi Kabir, Rokeya Kabir, MM Akash, Muhammad Zahangir, and Dipayan Khisa.
Omor then asked journalists to give him back the reputation he had lost because of the assault allegations.
During the press conference at a packed room in Omor Theme Plaza, a property owned by the MP, the principal of Rajbari Degree College read out a statement.
"The allegation against MP Omor Faruk Chowdhury was fabricated to tarnish his image and [reduce his] popularity ahead of the [ruling] party's council on July 15… We, the principals, had an argument and shoved each other. I got minor injuries from falling on furniture," he said.
Salim then repeated what Omor said the day before: It was the MP who stopped the fight.
Abdul Awal, principal of Matikata College, who also addressed the event, said he and Salim were arguing about something when "I couldn't take a word he uttered during the argument and pushed him and I am sorry for that".
When reporters asked Salim why he had a black eye and requested him to show his arms, he quickly removed his hands from the table.
"I received minor injuries during the chaos."
As reporters said they wanted to talk to Salim with no one else around, the MP said, "He is in trauma. He can't speak alone."
The lawmaker then asked his men to escort the principal to his chamber.
In his reaction to the event, Shafikur Rahman Badsha, president of Rajshahi unit of Bangladesh College Teachers' Association, said he was surprised by the principal's statement because "the principal himself told me that he was assaulted by the lawmaker… It is clear that he is doing this now fearing further humiliation.
"His statement served the lawmaker's interest… The statement appears to be written by the lawmaker," he said.
Omor held the press conference amid reports that he assaulted Salim on July 7 when several college principals went to his chamber to meet him.
The National University on Wednesday formed a committee to investigate the allegations.
Meanwhile, 24 eminent citizens expressed concerns over the alleged assault and demanded judicial investigation into it.
The signatories include Sultana Kamal, Rasheda K Chowdhury, Pankaj Bhattachariya, Ramendu Majumdar, Sarwar Ali, Rana Das Gupta, Fauzia Moslem, Khushi Kabir, Rokeya Kabir, MM Akash, Muhammad Zahangir, and Dipayan Khisa.
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