DU Teacher Tasnim Siraj Says Student Left Class After She Expressed Discomfort

Dhaka University English department Associate Professor Tasnim Siraj Mahbub has defended her remarks to a student wearing a niqab, saying she only expressed discomfort at being unable to see the student's eyes and did not ask her to change her clothing or leave the classroom.

Tasnim clarified her position in a written statement read out during a Facebook Live on Saturday (October 10), following allegations that she had mocked a niqab-wearing student by calling her a “fundamentalist” and a “terrorist”.

“I only said that I did not feel comfortable because I could not see her eyes, and she left the class,” Tasnim said, adding that there had been no argument between them.

She also said she had tried to apologise to the student after learning that her remarks had hurt her, but could not meet her in person despite repeated attempts to contact her through classmates.

Teacher explains her remarks

In her statement, Tasnim said the incident took place on October 7, 2026, during a class for students of the English department's 15th batch, corresponding to the 2019-20 academic session.

“I am Tasnim Siraj Mahbub, an associate professor in the Department of English at the University of Dhaka. I am presenting my account of the incident that took place during my final semester class on October 7, 2026, and the subsequent departmental decision,” she said.

She said she was a practising Muslim who observed religious rules in her personal and family life. Religious beliefs and practices were important parts of her life, and students who had known her during her nearly 34-year teaching career were familiar with her beliefs, values and conduct, she added.

“The question of disrespecting any student's religious beliefs or clothing does not arise here,” she said.

Recalling the incident, Tasnim said a student had been sitting to the left of the classroom door alongside two other female students, with her entire face, including her eyes, covered. She said she could not immediately identify the student because her eyes were not visible.

Tasnim said the lack of eye contact made it difficult for her to understand how the student was receiving her lecture and participating in classroom activities. She said this made her uncomfortable while teaching, adding that communication with students and maintaining a comfortable teaching environment were important to her.

She said this was the context in which she raised the issue.

Tasnim said she referred to verse 31 of Surah An-Nur, which addresses modesty, limiting the display of adornment and covering the body. Referring to two other students who were wearing burqas, she said that, according to her understanding of the Quran's translation, modest clothing that does not reveal the body's shape can be worn while keeping the face visible.

She also discussed religious interpretations that permit leaving the face uncovered and referred to her own experience of performing Hajj, including hadith concerning women not wearing niqabs while in the state of ihram.

“The entire discussion did not include any instruction to change her clothing,” she said.

Tasnim said another student who spoke in support of the niqab-wearing student discussed the freedom to choose one's clothing with her. In response, she said, she explained the importance of being able to identify students and maintaining a comfortable environment for teaching.

She said her main point was to explain how a teacher's inability to identify students and communicate effectively in a classroom could affect teaching.

Says she did not order student to remove niqab

Tasnim said several other students had attended the same class wearing hijabs or hijabs with burqas. As their faces were visible, and in some cases only their eyes could be seen, she had no difficulty recognising them and had made no comments about their clothing.

She said she had told the student that others were also wearing hijabs and burqas and that modesty could be observed in the same way while fully complying with Islamic instructions on covering oneself.

She also said she had asked how she would recognise the student if her eyes and entire face remained covered.

“I did not force her to answer any question. I did not instruct her to change her clothes, remove her niqab or leave the class,” Tasnim said.

She added that she had neither punished the student for wearing religious clothing nor barred her from attending future classes. Her remarks, she said, concerned covering the eyes, not the hijab, burqa or purdah.

After the student left, Tasnim said, several students spoke to her and informed her that the student had possibly been hurt by her remarks and had left for that reason.

“I told the students present that I never want anyone to be hurt by my words. When you told me that she had left because she was hurt, I said I wanted to apologise to her,” she said.

Tasnim said she asked classmates to help locate the student within the department so she could apologise directly. After learning that the student was in Room 2081, she asked another female student to call her three times.

She said she waited in the corridor for about 10 minutes, but the student did not come out of the adjoining room to speak with her despite repeated messages. As a result, she could not apologise to the student in person, she added.

Questions departmental decision

Tasnim said she had to leave quickly for a hospital because a family member was seriously ill and undergoing surgery. Amid that family crisis, she learned that her remarks were being circulated in a distorted manner that did not accurately reflect their context or purpose, she said.

She also said she had learned that the English department had redistributed all her courses among other teachers following a written complaint from students, without first hearing her account.

“I was deeply hurt by the decision being made before I had the opportunity to present my explanation,” she said.

She urged the university authorities to give her an opportunity to provide a full explanation of the allegations and to examine the incident impartially on the basis of the statements made at the meeting and other relevant information. She said she was ready to cooperate with the process.

Tasnim also said anonymous phone calls, emails, offensive messages and threats following the incident had increased her concerns about her personal safety.

She called on the authorities to help ensure the dignity and safety of everyone, including the student concerned, and to prevent threats and harassment.

“I believe the classroom should be a respectful and safe place for both students and teachers,” she said, adding that any need to verify a student's identity should be addressed through clear institutional policies that respect religious beliefs, personal dignity and privacy.

She urged the media and others concerned to present her statement accurately and allow the incident to be examined impartially. She said she hoped the matter would be resolved fairly while preserving mutual respect and the university's academic environment.

Students had alleged derogatory remarks

The allegations against Tasnim arose from a class held on Wednesday (October 7) for students of the English department's 15th batch, which corresponds to the 2019-20 academic session.

Students alleged that she had called a student wearing a niqab a “fundamentalist” and a “terrorist”. They also alleged that she had commented that the student could carry out a bomb attack.

Students immediately boycotted the class in protest, according to the report.

Following a written complaint from students, the department relieved Tasnim of all teaching responsibilities. The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the department's academic committee.