Daffodil International University has suspended Tahmina Rahman, a lecturer in its Department of Journalism, Media and Communication, after she opposed a student-led decision to participate in the global ‘No Work, No School’ strike for Gaza. The suspension follows her warning to students that they would face double absences if they skipped her class to join the strike.
University spokesperson and Director of External Affairs, Syed Mizanur Rahman Raju, confirmed the suspension and indicated that further disciplinary action could lead to Rahman’s permanent dismissal. "The university had already expressed support for the students' participation in the global campaign. Her decision to penalise students with double absences was against institutional policy," Raju stated.
The incident escalated after screenshots of Tahmina Rahman’s messages in a WhatsApp group circulated widely on social media. In the messages, Rahman not only threatened punitive measures but also allegedly made disparaging comments about the Gaza solidarity movement. The language used was deemed inappropriate by university authorities, who cited violations of faculty conduct regulations.
Students from the journalism department had joined others worldwide in the strike on Monday, April 7, following Daffodil University’s public alignment with the movement. The administration said that students skipping class for the strike could only be marked with a single absence, not penalised further.
After the controversy gained public attention, Rahman posted an apology on Facebook, explaining that she had planned to hold an online class and students could have joined if they wished. She also claimed her remarks were misrepresented and clarified that her intention was not to suppress student activism.
The university has launched an internal investigation to examine the incident more thoroughly. The case has sparked wider discussion on academic freedom, institutional authority, and expressions of solidarity with global human rights causes on university campuses in Bangladesh.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan
