The family of the slain Rajshahi University Prof S Taher Ahmed is yet to receive due pension payments and gratuities and have been allegedly harassed over the issue during the last eight months.

Sultana Ahmed, wife of the late pro-BNP teacher, told reporters the university authorities were not cooperating with them despite repeated appeals for the dues.

"But, they (RU authorities) are not hesitating to cooperate with a suspect of the murder," she said citing various "unnatural RU favours" recently made to a key suspect RU Islami Chhatra Shibir President Mahbubul Alam Salehi.

"Authorities delayed the

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payments exacerbating our worries," she said adding, "They helped Salehi get bail and illegally allowed him to sit for the masters examinations and the vice-chancellor himself sat with him and hadiftar."

The late professor's family sought the dues to the RU authorities on March 18 but the family is still waiting for it even though the university provisions allow teachers', officials' and employees' families to get the dues within one month of any accidental or natural deaths.

Taher's son Sanjid Alvi Ahmed said, "It's nothing but political harassment."

The family members expressed their deep concerns over the trial of the case as the killers have not been put on trial yet due to political reasons even though a caretaker government is running the country now.

"Is the killer (Salehi) so influential that the trial could not be started in nine months?" Sultana asked. Sultana, citing the good relations that prevailed between Taher and President and Chief Adviser Prof Iajuddin Ahmed, urged the chief adviser to take necessary steps for holding the trial without any further delays.

She also spoke of her hardships with a son and a daughter. Alvi studies in Dhaka University and does a parttime job to help the family. Daughter Segufta is a second-year student of Brac University. "I am at a loss trying to meet family expenses," she added.

RU Vice-chancellor Altaf Hossain was unavailable on telephones. RU Registrar Abdus Salam, however, said Taher's family was responsible for the delays in payments. "They need necessary clearances from concerned departments and the library," he added.

He said the RU authorities already gave Taher's 12 months' salary and theinsurance money to the family.

Prof S Taher Ahmed of Geology and Mining Department was killed allegedly by his colleague and cadres of Jamaat-e-Islami and Islami Chhatra Shibir on February 3.