HC suspends DU notice to keep female students face uncovered

DU monogram

Jehangir Hussain  

The High Court Division on Tuesday suspended for six months the effectiveness of a notice issued by Dhaka University's Bangla Department asking its female students to keep their faces uncovered during examinations and presentations. 

A bench of Justice Kamrul Kader and Justice Mohammad Ali also issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain within four weeks as to why the notice should not be declared as illegal. 

The bench  passed the order after a preliminary hearing of a writ petition in this regard. 

The petitioner lawyer Faizullah Faiz stood for the writ while Deputy Attorney General Abdullah Al Mahmud Bashar represented the state. 

On February 20, Faiz had filed the writ petition challenging the legality of the Dhaka University  notice asking all female students to keep their  ears and faces visible.

The education ministry secretary, the VC of Dhaka University, the registrar, the chairperson of the Bangla Department of Dhaka University were made respondents. 

Earlier on December 11, the Bangla Department issued a notice, signed by its chairman professor Syed Azizul Haque, asking female students to keep their faces and ears uncovered during all examinations, including viva and presentations. 

The notice also warned that if anyone violates the instruction, action would be taken against them under university rules.

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