A legal notice has been served against Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University (SAU) Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Abdul Latif and National Institute of Preventive and Social Medicine (NIPSOM) Entomology Department Head Professor Dr Golam Sarwar over allegations of plagiarism in a research paper.
The notice was sent on Sunday on behalf of Jahangirnagar University’s Faculty of Biological Sciences Professor and Entomologist Dr Kabirul Bashar by Supreme Court lawyer Tanvir Ahmed.
The notice outlined three main demands:
Immediate withdrawal of the allegedly plagiarized article from the Progressive Agriculture journal;
An impartial investigation and appropriate academic punishment for those involved; and
A written response within two weeks.
It further stated that failure to comply within the stipulated time would lead to the filing of civil and criminal lawsuits.
According to Dr Bashar, his original 2014 research paper titled “Observation of Mosquitoes in Selected Parks and Gardens of Dhaka City” was completely copied and published in December 2017 under the title “Diversity of Mosquito Species in Different Areas of Dhaka City.” The paper was authored by NIPSOM Professor Dr Mohammad Golam Sarwar and the current Vice-Chancellor of Sher-e-Bangla Agricultural University, Professor Dr Abdul Latif.
Dr Bashar claimed that upon analysis, the abstract, tables, figures, maps, references, and the main text of the 2017 paper were found to be nearly identical to his original work. “This is a clear and deliberate act of intellectual property theft,” he said, adding: “It is not an unintentional mistake.”
Meanwhile, the report listed Dr Golam Sarwar as a faculty member of North South University; however, the university has issued a statement denying any affiliation with him.
Following the allegation, the university authorities have formally notified NIPSOM and urged them to take necessary administrative action.
In response, SAU Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr Abdul Latif said: “One of my PhD students published a research paper in 2017, listing me as a co-author without my knowledge or consent. I have no involvement with the research.”
When contacted for comment, Professor Golam Sarwar said: “I will look into the matter and provide details later.”
