Respected Editor, We are the Bangladeshi families and community members form Vancouver and University of British Columbia

(UBC), Canada. Rumana Manzur, a Bangladeshi Student from the UBC, recently became victim of a terrible attack. We request you to kindly publish our following letter, containing our knowledge and experience with Rumana when she was here in Canada, at your well-reputed newspaper. Dear Citizens of Bangladesh and our respected friends in the media, We are Bangladeshi families from Vancouver and University of British Columbia (UBC), Canada. We are deeply shocked and mourning the brutal attack on our sister Rumana Manzur. We are writing this letter out of grave concern observing the attempts made to establish a baseless extramarital story by Rumanas husband. The Bangladeshi community in the University of British Columbia is a very small community. It is simply impossible for anyone to have an extramarital affair without being noticed by the community members. When we met Rumana for the first time, she appeared to be an extremely nice, polite and a brilliant Bangladeshi student. We found her to be a very serious student and at the same time dedicated to her family. At numerous occasions she expressed her concern to finish her Degree as soon as possible and return to her family in Bangladesh. As families living abroad we understood her anxiety and tried to extend our support. Rumana has been living thousands of miles away from her family. Both Bangladeshi and other international students extended their support. She always used to reciprocate with her friendly behaviour, kind words and her excellent cooking. We were also very impressed with her regular practice of saying prayers five times a day in spite of her busy schedule. Every time we visited her place we found her opening the door with her head covered. In last Ramadan, she tried to attend masjid programs as much as possible. Muslim students here helped her especially to get halal foods. This is normal here that a Muslim is helping his/her brothers or sisters. We dont think existence of any immoral or extra marital relationship in this generosity. We would have surely noticed that. She never mentioned any bad things about her husbands profession rather in many occasions she asked us what could be the possible business opportunities for her husband to run here in Canada. We always found her putting priority on her daughters well being. Her heart and soul effort was to bring her family here in Canada. She had a childlike simplicity and innocence. She was extremely friendly with our children in the community. Wherever she went, she was childrens friend. She could communicate with children very easily and we are very grateful to her for the remarkable manners and courtesy she maintained which became examples to follow for our children.

All through her days for last 9 months, she never diverted from her study (which is why she was here for) and her love towards her daughter and husband. She used to miss them every single moment. The cell phone she used didnt have signal within her building. So she always had to come outside of the building and spent long hours to talk with her daughter and husband irrespective of harsh winter condition, study load etc. Later she started using Skype for constant communication regarding the well being of her daughter and husband. She even used to teach her daughter, helping her with homework, and many other things for example how to draw flowers through Skype. We watched her regular attempts to buy expensive toys for her daughter with her very limited funding. She was supposed to finish her thesis writing here in Canada. She could have stayed here with this perfect excuse if she had other motive or interest. But she virtually struggled to go back home and write her thesis from Bangladesh. It was too risky to be away from her supervisor at this stage and also expensive as she needs to come back to defend her thesis. Still she opted to do so just to be with her daughter and husband. We forbade her to go back for good reasons but she plainly said she cant endure any more distance from her family. She said its enough for her to be away for eight months but no more. For the same reason she deferred her PhD for one more year. In normal course, she is supposed to start her PhD from next September, but she said she wants to compensate her absence from her family by being with them next year and she only would come back for her PhD if she can bring her daughter and husband and afford to stay together. As an international student, it is very hard to afford financially if she doesnt get good funding. So she took one year to source a good funding option. We are simply speechless, appalled, and deeply hurt in the incident of the false accusation of Rumanas extramarital affair. It is such a pain to observe that Rumana only went back to her family to lose the most precious gift from The Almighty, her eyesight. We feel that it is our duty to take a very strong stance against any kind of accusation that may come on our dear friend Rumana. It is our ardent request not to put this unfortunate woman, a brilliant Bangladeshi scholar, on the guillotine of character assassination. On behalf of the Bangladeshi families in Vancouver and at the University of British Columbia who know Rumana Manzur. Shahin Aktar Saif Islam

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On June 5, 2011, Rumana Monzur was attacked. She almost lost her two eyes and suffered several other injuries on the face. Most of the damage is irreparable. There is not a single reason to justify such mayhems. Her husband publicly confessed that he 'bid to kill her', and accused her of cheating on him while she was studying in Canada and living in St John's College, University of British Columbia, in Vancouver. We, people from Saint Johns College, who lived with Rumana during her stay in Canada strongly reject this accusation. Statement from the Acting Principal of Rumanas residence Dr Olav Slaymaker: Residential Life at St. Johns College on the Campus of The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Residents include graduate students (called Junior Fellows), post-doctoral students and visiting scholars. Each resident is housed in a private study bedroom with its own private bathroom. All residents eat meals together five times each week. We describe this residential experience as living together in one large community. There are also opportunities to engage in dialogue, language classes, art, meditation, sports and many other community activities. 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 Universitys library, laboratories, museums and research parks. They are mature, self-reliant individuals in whom I have complete confidence. Olav Slaymaker, Ph.D., D.Sc., Acting Principal, St. Johns College and Professor Emeritus, Geography, The University of British Columbia, 2111 Lower Mall, Vancouver, V6T 1Z4. e-mail: olav.slaymaker@ubc.ca

Individual Statements from Saint Johns College Residents: To whom it may concern, During the past year I have lived at the same graduate students college (St Johns College) on the University of British Columbia campus as Rumana Monzur, so I know her as a friend and a fellow resident. During this time, 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. I also almost never saw Rumana

without her speaking about her daughter and family. Therefore, the general impression that I have of Rumana is that of a family-oriented and pious woman as well as a good friend for everyone. Sincerely, Mohsen Seddigh, UBC PhD law student Iran --Concerning Rumana, My name is Amber Perreca and I am Canadian. Rumana is a caring and devoted wife. She worked hard and cared for her family. I witnessed no acts of infidelity while knowing her during her stay in Canada. Amber Perreca Canada --Based on my Islamic knowledge due to my upbringing and our crowded dinner acquaintances with Ms. Rumana Monzur, with no reservation I can state that Rumana Monzur was a devout Muslim, who has been practicing her religious duties on a daily basis. She used to mention her love and fear of Allah on various occasions. During her stay at SJC (until early June in 2011), Ms. Monzur was an extremely kind and pious personality all the time, who was keen on sharing her Islamic knowledge in order to make the interested people - like me - more knowledgeable and pious with regards to the deen, as well as implementing that code of ethics in our hearts. She is Islam in flesh and bone. Besides our common dinners, each time I ran into her, she was on the phone with her daughter (even on freezing cold Canadian nights) out of the main building, for not to disturb the other residents of SJC. She was very thoughtful and respectful. And, as it struck my attention, when her daughter did not want to go to school, she used to convince her on the phone. Briefly put, I witnessed multiple times that Ms. Monzur was a good mother and a devout Muslim, who had some codes. In addition, she was a very well respected member of this society (and she still is), whose students cried when she left. Not only she 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. All in all, Ms. Rumana Monzur is a very well respected mother, lady, Muslim, and an academic in the UBC society, where she spent the past year. Ilksen Icen - Turkey ---

18th June 2011 To whom it may concern, I, Bieke Gils lived with Rumana Monzur as a fellow resident during her entire stay at St. Johns College, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Rumana Monzur immediately struck me as a great and trustworthy person and it did not take long before we became good friends. With several other girls, Rumana Monzur and I often spent time together. We shared breakfast and dinner at the College, and occasionally went out for lunch together. I was incredibly shocked when I heard that Rumana Monzur had been violated by her husband. Not only me, but all St. Johns College residents I have spoken to were shocked and deeply hurt about this news. Im confident that the allegations about Rumana Monzur being unfaithful made by her husband are false. Almost every day during the time Rumana Monzur stayed at St Johns College, I saw her faithfully call her husband and daughter. Whenever I went by her room, she was either praying, phoning her family or studying. There is no doubt in my mind that Rumana Monzur is a faithful wife and mother. I dearly miss Rumana Monzur, known here at St. Johns College for her warm personality, her kindness and her caring nature. Bieke Johanna Magdalene Primavera Gils (Country of citizenship: Belgium) --To whom it may concern, I , Pearl Siganporia, have known Rumana Monzur under the capacity of a fellow college resident at St. John's College, UBC, Vancouver and a friend for over a year. Rumana has always been a hard working student who has been tirelessly working towards the completion of her Masters Degree in Political Science ever since I have known her. Rumana has always been a warm, loving and kind hearted woman and has always lent a helping hand whenever she could. I can confirm that she is a woman of great integrity and loyalty, is extremely dedicated to her family and work and is entirely peace-loving. I am deeply saddened by the fact that she has been brutally attacked and has been accused of an extra-marital affair by her husband. I strongly condemn such heinous acts of violence against any person and in particular my friend and neighbor, Rumana. Please note that any accusations by any individual against the character of Rumana Monzur are false. I would like to confirm the fact that Ms. Rumana Monzur, has not had any extramarital affair while at her stay at St. John's College, UBC , Vancouver. Rumana is a pious, dutiful and hard working woman who has solely focused on her studies during her stay in Canada and has not indulged in any immoral behavior under any circumstance. Sincerely, Pearl Siganporia - India/Qatar ---

My name is Isabel Andrade and I come from Quito-Ecuador. I have known Rumana Monzur since September 2010 when I moved into Saint Johns College UBC and we developed a very close friendship since then. I was among the closest persons to her in the College as we not only studied together but had breakfast and dinner together, and had very long conversations. We also used to go for walks in the afternoons and attended other college organized events together. To say that I was appalled when I learnt of the tragic circumstances that befell her is an understatement. I was more shocked to learn of the allegations of infidelity. I would like to clearly state that 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. Isabel Andrade - Ecuador --I, Mr. Alexander Bauer Westbye, have been a resident of St. Johns College (University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada) for the period Rumana Monzur stayed here. I cannot claim to be a close friend of Rumana Monzur, but I conversed with her on multiple occasions. Rumana Monzur is a very honourable and kind person that I have the highest respect for. When I learned about the horrible incident she had been subjected to when returning to Bangladesh it made me deeply saddened and angry. Reading the accusations put forward by her husband published in Daily-Sun.com, I reacted immediately with anger. At no point have I observed any behaviour that could suggest that Rumana Monzur was involved in an illicit relationship. 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 Monzurs flawless reputation. Alexander Bauer Westbye (Citizen of Norway) Resident of St Johns College and Ph.D. student at University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada --I am a resident of St. John's College (SJC), where Rumana lived during her stay in Canada. SJC is an international graduate college of approximately 160 students, postdocs and visiting professors. We all live in neighbouring rooms, and share meals as well as social and educational events. Over the course of the year, I had many pleasant conversations with Rumana while we were cooking our meals in the communal kitchens. She always talked fondly about her daughter, and was always happy to answer my questions about Bangladeshi culture/life. I never witnessed the slightest evidence of any infidelity or inappropriate behavior on her part. I do not recall ever seeing her alone with a man; on the contrary, I often saw her with two or three girls (also residents of SJC), with whom she got along very well.

Ion Garate. Postdoctoral Researcher in Physics. Country of Origin: Spain. --The Rumana I knew was kind, loyal, and generous. Since we both began our studies last September, I saw absolutely no evidence of a romantic affair involving her and any resident at the college. It is both saddening and absurd that the simple fact of posing in photographs with her many friends here could be used as "evidence" for such a baseless accusation of infidelity. Sheng-Jun Xu (Canada) --Rumana is a kind, virtuous and sweet lady and has represented Bangladesh women with the highest integrity at St. John's College, where she had lived in Canada. I am so touched by what she has endured for the love of her daughter. She is a great mother! I'm extremely saddened to read false allegations about her character, as she has already been through so much pain and suffering. Nicole Ong, Singapore --I knew Rumana for the while she lived here. She was one of the kindest and most patient residents in the college, a true Muslim as Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) said with a permanent smile narrating her inner peace. Apart from her character, her faith in Allah and Islam makes the recent accusation unbelievable and looking stupidly ridiculous to whoever knew her here. How can a human being be so fearless of Allah and forgetful of all the morals to treat another human being, a delicate woman, his wife like that; destroy her body and then destroy her soul with such a baseless accusation. Our prayers are with you, may Allah bless you Rumana. Nima Taherinejad Iran --My name is Loni Slade, I am a graduate student studying Health Psychology at UBC and I am from Canada. I have had many interactions with Rumana and know her to be a caring, responsible, and kind person. I have never witnessed Rumana being involved in acts of infidelity and I wholeheartedly believe such claims to be false and non-credible. Such claims are absurd and I believe that no one living at St. John's College or in the UBC community believes such nonsense. The Rumana I know cares about the important people in her life and about her success in scholarship and friendship. I am completely

appalled that any claims of infidelity have been made, I fully reject them. Further to this, I was shocked to learn that the untrue claims were made to try and divert attention away from the perpetrator of such a horrendous crime. It is my full hope that justice is served and that Rumana's widespread support is fully heard. Loni Slade Canada --To Whom it May Concern In this statement, I would like to refute all the baseless accusations against Rumana's character that her husband and his family are trying to purport. I have known Rumana since she came to Canada in Sep 2010 and moved to our graduate residence at University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. In order to explain the nature of this residence, I would add just one short statement: it is a place where a set of elite graduate students irrespective of gender live. Everyone has their own rooms and washrooms but we dine together. I have known Rumana as a very good friend and like an elder sister and in this capacity I can confidently testify that she possesses not only high moral and ethical values but is also a person of immaculate character. I am a Muslim myself and from numerous interactions I have had with Rumana, I am in a good position to say that she is an extremely pious women and prays five times a day regularly. Despite the friendly atmosphere of this graduate residence, Rumana would rarely let men enter her room which is quite unusual in a country like Canada. Only one occasion when she let me in her room along with some of her other girlfriends, she told me that I am the first male to enter her room and she had let me in only because she considers me her younger brother. I also happen to personally know individual with whom she has been accused of having an extramarital affair. He was a friend to her just as I was. She was friendly as well as conservative and always acknowledged everyone about her daughter and her husband. It is extremely deplorable when a virtuous person of pristine character such as Rumana is first fatally tortured by her jealous unsuccessful husband and is then falsely accused of infidelity to add to her agony. I am requesting the Media to immediately reject such spurious claims. Thanks & Regards. Ziaul Hasan Nationality: Indian Gender: Male B.Tech, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (2005) PhD Candidate, University of British Columbia, Canada. --My name is Chang Chen. I am a Chinese Canadian. I have lived in St. John's College since last August. I got to know Rumana on her first day here in SJC. She is the one of the warmest, sweetest, and kindest person that I ever know. She was very friendly with

everyone in SJC. From the very first day, she told me that she had a husband and a daughter in Bangladesh. We chatted several times during her stay in SJC, she always mentioned her daughter and her family, and how much she missed them and wished she could be with them. I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been for someone lke her who is so devoted to her family and yet so far away from home. In addition, I have never witnessed any slightest evidence of inappropriate behaviour from her part. I saw her on a daily basis. She spent most of her time here with several other female residents. I have never seen her alone with a man. Chang Chen Canada --Rumana was very caring and attentive. She was always showing up at dinner time with her two girl-friends. Even if I was rarely sitting next to her, she was often caring and asking me how I was doing, observing my eyes when I was giving my answer and making sure that I was sincerely doing well. We were not close friends but I was seeing her everyday, she used to talk about her daughter as she was missing and caring about her. About Rumana, I will keep this solid opinion that she is a great and sensitive person. Alexandra Laugerotte-Azran (France) --This statement is in support of Rumana Monzur. I have known Rumana as a resident of St. Johns College graduate residence at the University of British Columbia. She is a caring, respectful, and friendly individual to whom we could easily relate. I confirm that I have never witnessed to any acts of infidelity between Rumana and another resident of St. Johns College. Rumana is a highly respected and supported colleague and friend in the community of the University of British Columbia. Sincerely, Dr. Elena Cirkovic (Nationality: Canadian) Osgoode Hall Law School, York University (Ph.D) University of Toronto, Hon. B.A., M.A. --I cannot imagine how anyone could think of Rumana as anything but devoted to her studies, her country and her family. That's all she was ever concerned about. avlan Erengezgin (Turkey) ---

My name is Lindsey Nicole Peacock, and I am a citizen of the United States of America and a permanent resident of Canada. For the nine months prior to May 2011, I lived two doors down from Rumana Manzur in the St. John's College residence hall. Because I was one of her closest neighbours, I was in contact with Rumana at varying times and on different days. During her time at St. John's College, I never witnessed any acts of infidelity or acts that could be mistaken for an extra marital affair. I never even saw her in the presence of any male without several other people around. Whenever I visited her, she was alone in her room or only had women around her. I fully attest to the truth that Rumana never engaged in any extra marital affair during her time at St. John's College. For any further questions, my contact information is below. Sincerely, Lindsey Peacock (778) 919-7300 lpeacock86@me.com --I know Rumana since she moved into the St. Johns College, Vancouver, Canada. Rumana used to live next door to me. She used to like cooking and most of the times I used to see her in the common kitchens. She was a typical conservative type lady and most of the times used to hang out with her female friends. I never saw her going out with any men, I never saw any men even entering her residence. Accusations of Rumana having any illicit relationship sound baseless and ridiculous. Abhijit Pandhari India. --Rumana is a kind, intelligent and respectable woman. She is a good Muslim who was devoted to her family during her time in Canada. A friend - Saudi Arabia