MULTAN, Jan 28: The MBA students at the Bahauddin Zakariya University's institute of management sciences have refused to attend class of a teacher, accusing him of harassing and misbehaving with them.

It is learnt that some 45 students in a class of 53 of the third semester of MBA (morning) have been boycotting lectures of an assistant professor since Jan 4 last, demanding his replacement.

A group of protesting students told Dawn here on Wednesday that they had requested the IMS director in black and white to replace the professor with any other teacher because their experience of learning with him in the first semester was not good.

They accused the academic of abusing them, saying the female students were his main target. They also alleged that he used the scores of his subject and internal assessment of a student as a tool of exploitation.

They said the IMS director had assured them that he would ask the teacher to improve his behaviour, but to no avail. On his assurance, the students said, they had called off their boycott few days ago, but the teacher threatened the whole class with dire consequences. The protesters said all the female students had also refused to attend the class.

When contacted, IMS Director Prof Dr Zafarullah Khan said although the students had submitted an application to replace the teacher, it would set a bad precedent if the university management succumbed to their pressure.

He said the students had conveyed their complaints to him and their all the just demands would be met. The IMS, he added, could form a committee to re-assess the marking that would be done by him at the end of the semester. "I have also asked the teacher to improve his image among his students," he added.