A day after some unidentified "armed youths humiliated and threatened" a teacher of Chittagong University in his office room, a faction of Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) of the university yesterday demanded his removal within 24 hours.

The faction, led by president of the suspended committee of BCL's CU unit Alamgir Tipu, who is known as a loyalist of Chittagong City Corporation Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin, submitted a memorandum on the official letterhead of BCL to the vice chancellor.

The day before, a group of youths identifying themselves as activists of CU BCL "threatened" the teacher for his activism against the holding tax reassessment programme by Chittagong City Corporation.

One of them also brandished a firearm, said the victim, Md Amir Uddin, an associate professor of the university's Institute of Education Research.

Amir is the general secretary of Chattagram Kordata Surokkha Parishad, a group created to protect the taxpayers of Chittagong.

He along with a businessman launched the movement after CCC announced a programme in March last year to reassess the holding tax paid by house owners.

The group held different programmes in the last one year, saying that due to the re-assessment, the amount of tax would increase manifold. It calls upon the city corporation to keep the tax rise at a tolerable level.

In the memorandum, the BCL faction alleges that when the tax reassessment programme is being addressed peacefully and fairly through "appeals" and "discussion", the teacher was trying to “mislead” journalists by providing “false” information.

He is “spreading” personal enmity against the elected representatives through social media, it says. They demand the CU authorities remove the teacher within 24 hours.

Contacted, Amir Uddin said all allegations against him were false, baseless and motivated.

“From the incident of submitting a memorandum today, it was proved that those who humiliated and threatened me yesterday have connection with them,” he said.

Contacted, general secretary of the suspended committee of CU unit BCL Fazly Rabbi Sujan, said none could use the official letterhead of CU unit BCL as the committee was now suspended, adding, “It's an offence.”

General secretary of BCL's Chittagong city unit Nurul Azim Rony said the city dwellers were now getting the result of Amir Uddin's movement as CCC was compelled to go for introducing a provision of appeal for taxpayers following the movement.

“The demand for his removal is nothing but a part of a conspiracy to save the miscreants who humiliated and threatened the teacher,” he said.

Talking to The Daily Star, Proctor Ali Asgar Chowdhury said two separate committees would be formed to probe the incidents -- one for humiliating the teacher and the other for the allegation against him.

Meanwhile, some city residents and political leaders expressed their grave concern over the incident of threatening the teacher.

Prof Sekandar Khan, vice chancellor of East Delta University, said anyone could join a citizen or social movement. "It's a democratic right of a citizen."

“But it is unprecedented that a teacher would be humiliated by his students at the educational institution for his involvement in a citizen movement,” he said.

Saimul Iftekher Chowdhury, a lawyer of Chittagong district judge's court, said, “As a citizen of the country a teacher has the right to take part in any democratic movement.”

“How dare they humiliate a teacher in his office room at the university?”

Saimul, also law affairs secretary of Chittagong city Awami League, urged the university authorities to bring the persons responsible to book.

Meanwhile, the two top central leaders of BCL said none could use the letterhead of the organisation's CU unit when the committee was suspended.

BCL President Saifur Rahman Sohag said all activities of the organisation at CU were suspended; so none could do it.

Echoing him, BCL general secretary SM Jakir Hossain condemned the incident of threatening the teacher and said, "I would request the law enforcers and the university administration to find them and take action against them."