The Dhaka University authorities today terminated theatre and performance studies department chairman Prof Saiful Islam for "sexually harassing" a female student.

The decision came from a DU Syndicate meeting with Vice Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique in the chair this afternoon.

“After reviewing reports on the allegations of sexual harassment against him, the Syndicate has found him guilty of the crime and decided to terminate him permanently,” the VC told The Daily Star.

Earlier on September 15 last year, DU authorities suspended Saiful in this connection.

On September 14, the students of the department submitted a letter and some mobile phone recordings to the proctor and the vice chancellor, saying Prof Saiful tried to sexually assault a female friend at his home the day before.

In the letter, the aggrieved student said the chair's office contacted her on September 8, regarding her mid-term exam answer script and told her to see the chairman about the matter.

"When I called him, sir told me that he was busy and would talk to me later," the victim wrote.

She said the professor called her on September 10, told her about the problem in the answer script, and offered her help on the condition that she should not disclose the matter.

The student informed a female teacher about the issue before she went to see Saiful, who called her again on September 13 at 3:53pm and asked her to meet him at a house on the campus.

When she went there around 5:40pm, Saiful tried to take advantage of her in return of ignoring the problem in the answer script and giving her marks, she alleged. She fled the scene but recorded her conversation with the teacher.