Dhaka University assistant professor Shehrin Amin Bhuiyan Monami has alleged that she is being subjected to harassment on social media by students of the university, including an individual she identified as a supporter or member of Bangladesh Islami Chhatra Shibir.
Monami, an assistant professor in the university’s Department of Public Administration, raised the allegations in a post published on her verified Facebook page on Friday night, 4 September. She said she had been repeatedly tagged in social media posts and subjected to remarks and taunts after becoming aware of comments allegedly directed at female students of the university.
According to Monami, she had spent the entire day moving house and was preparing to go to sleep when she briefly checked Facebook. It was then, she said, that she discovered what she described as another incident of harassment involving students of Dhaka University.
In her post, Monami alleged that several students had written offensive comments about female students in their classes. She said her name had also appeared among those being targeted. After learning about the matter, she obtained details of the student or students concerned from another student, with the intention of making a complaint.
She said she had decided to take whatever measures were available to her and deal with the matter through the appropriate process. However, she indicated that the situation continued during the night, with repeated tagging, indirect remarks and comments directed at her.
Monami also suggested that political differences may have contributed to the online attacks. She referred to her previous positive comments about Chhatra Shibir and said that her political position had apparently become another reason for her to be targeted.
The academic further alleged that the harassment could take either a direct or indirect form, arguing that women can become targets of online abuse whenever an issue provides an opportunity, regardless of their individual identity or position.
Her post also reflected her frustration as a university teacher. Monami questioned the situation in which, as she put it, she was teaching students whom she believed were involved in such behaviour. She described the experience as deeply discouraging and said that, at times, she wondered why she should continue teaching in such circumstances.
She also expressed dissatisfaction with her professional situation, saying that she sometimes felt she might consider leaving her job if she did not need the employment and income. She added that she wished she could change jobs and suggested that she might do so someday.
Monami ended her post with a personal appeal for patience, saying that she prayed to Allah for the strength to remain patient.
The allegations have drawn attention because they involve social media conduct among students and a university teacher. However, the post itself does not establish whether any formal complaint has subsequently been lodged or whether disciplinary action has been initiated against the students allegedly involved. No response from the accused students or the university authorities was included in the information provided.
The incident also highlights the wider challenges faced by teachers and students when disputes that begin within an academic environment spill over into social media. Repeated tagging, personal remarks and public criticism can quickly turn an online disagreement into a broader confrontation, particularly when political affiliations are brought into the discussion.
For now, Monami’s account represents her allegations and concerns. Further information from the university, the students concerned or any formal complaint process would be required to establish the full circumstances of the incident.
