Legal notice served on Barrister Fuad seeking Tk 10 billion in compensation
A legal notice has been served on AB Party Secretary General Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad, demanding that he issue an unconditional public apology within 72 hours over allegedly offensive and defamatory remarks about the University of Dhaka.
The notice also calls on him to pay Tk 10 billion (100 crore) in compensation to the university's research fund.
The notice was sent on Thursday (July 2) by Tanmoy Kumar Saha, a former student of the 33rd batch of the Department of Law at the University of Dhaka and an advocate of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh. It was addressed to the Education Secretary, the Home Secretary, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dhaka, and Barrister Asaduzzaman Fuad.
According to the notice, Barrister Fuad made objectionable, defamatory, and inflammatory remarks about the university's graduates, teachers, and students during a discussion titled "The Awakening of Bengali Muslims and the University of Dhaka," held at the DUCSU office on July 1.
The notice further states that he questioned the contributions of University of Dhaka graduates over the past 50 to 70 years, blamed them for various national problems, and made divisive comments targeting the university's faculty members.
It alleges that these remarks have tarnished the national and international reputation of the University of Dhaka and provoked widespread resentment among its former and current students as well as the general public.
The notice also urges the relevant government authorities to take appropriate legal and administrative action against Barrister Fuad.
In addition, he has been asked to withdraw his controversial remarks unconditionally and issue a public apology through mainstream electronic and print media, as well as on social media, within 72 hours.
As exemplary compensation for allegedly damaging the reputation of the University of Dhaka, the notice demands that Barrister Fuad deposit Tk 10 billion (100 crore) into the university's research fund. It states that the money could be used to support the university's academic development and contribute to national progress.
The notice further warns that if the demands are not met within the stipulated 72-hour period, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) will be filed before the High Court Division of the Supreme Court of Bangladesh.