Rumana 'can't cheat'

Dhaka, June 19 (bdnews24.com) ? Residents of Saint John's College on the campus of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver have dismissed the allegation slapped against Rumana Monzur being unfaithful by her husband as false.
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Rumana's 20 acquaintances have come up with individual statements to refute the charge.

Dr Olav Slaymaker, acting principal, St. John's College, and also a professor emeritus of geography, put forward the individual statements along with his own remarks on Rumana.

"We, people from Saint John's College, who lived with Rumana during her stay in Canada strongly reject this accusation," Dr Slaymaker said in his forwarding letter, emailed to bdnews24.com.

Rumana, a teacher of Dhaka University's international relations department, was taken to India on June 14 as she was seriously injured after her husband, Hassan Sayed, tried to gouge her eyes out and chewed her nose off in Dhaka on June 5.

She is completing a master's degree in political science at the Vancouver campus of The University of British Columbia, where she was supposed to submit her thesis paper in October.

All the 20 students in their statements said Rumana was a kind, intelligent and good Muslim who was devoted to her family during her time in Canada.

Dr Slaymaker said the 20 residents include graduate students (called Junior Fellows), post-doctoral students and visiting scholars. "Each student is housed in a private study bedroom with its own private bathroom," the professor said.

"The residents in the College constitute an elite group of highly qualified persons, each of whom is engaged in specialized research and enjoys access to the University's library, laboratories, museums and research parks. They are mature, self-reliant individuals in whom I have complete confidence," he said.

INDIVIDUAL STATEMENTS

Mohsen Seddigh, a UBC PhD law student from Iran , says: "I know her [Rumana] as a friend and a fellow resident. I never saw Rumana engage in any kind of behavior with any male resident or nonresident which would even remotely imply that she was more than simple friends with any man?

"Therefore, the general impression that I have of Rumana is that of a family-oriented and pious woman."

Amber Perreca of Canada says: "I witnessed no acts of infidelity while knowing her during her stay in Canada."

Ilksen Icen from Turkeysays, "Not only she [Rumana] used to cover her head as a symbol of the Islamic values which she practiced all the time, but she, at the same time, was surrounded by her female friends all the time, so to speak."

Bieke Johanna Magdalene Primavera Gils of Belgium says, "Rumana Monzur and I often spent time together. We shared breakfast and dinner at the College, and occasionally went out for lunch together.

"I'm confident that the allegations about Rumana Monzur being unfaithful made by her husband are false."

Pearl Siganporia of India says, "I would like to confirm the fact that Ms. Rumana Monzur has not had any extra-marital affair while at her stay at St. John's College, UBC, Vancouver."

Isabel Andrade of Ecuador says: "I think these allegations are baseless and untrue and as one of the closest persons to Rumana I always observed that she conducted herself responsibly throughout her stay at the College and was well respected by many people myself inclusive."

Alexander Bauer Westbye, Norway : "I can testify that I have no doubt that the accusations put forward by her husband are false, and are an attempt to damage Rumana Monzur's flawless reputation."

Those issued statements also include Dr Elena Cirkovic and Chang Chen, Canada, Nicole Ong of Singapore, Nima Taherinejad of Iran and Ziaul Hassan of Indian, ?avlan Erengezgin of Turkey and Abhijit Pandhari of India.

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