FROM PAGE 12

During the hearing, Kalimullah said, “This [yesterday] morning, shortly after breakfast, I was suddenly arrested by the Detective Branch of police. I didn’t resist.”

In response, the judge said, “Why would you resist? You have to go to jail. You’ll go to the grave alone… If you commit corruption, you’ll also have to go to jail alone…. No one will go with you. Many of those involved in corruption are rotting in jail, while their relatives are enjoying trips abroad with the money earned from corruption.”

The judge also asked Kalimullah why he was living full-time in Dhaka instead of on the university campus in Rangpur.

Kalimullah replied, “No, sir. Even though I was in Dhaka, I had a residence there [in Rangpur]. Forty percent of my salary was deducted for that.”

He added, “The former education minister Dipu Moni used to make unreasonable demands. Because of her, I avoided going to campus. I even held a press conference against her demands. This angered her.

“I worked 17-18 hours a day for the betterment of the university. Since the Liberation War, this is the first time a university vice-chancellor has challenged an education minister. That is why Dipu Moni made these false allegations against me.”

At the end of the hearing, Kalimullah was heard thanking the judge before being taken to the court’s lockup.

At 5:43pm, he was escorted in a prison van to Dhaka Central Jail in Keraniganj.

Kalimullah was arrested by DB from Mohammadpur in the capital around 12:15pm yesterday. He was later handed over to the ACC.