CU crisis looms large

At a meeting on Sunday, the Cuta urged the university authorities to cancel the selection boards by today.

“If our demand is not met, we will go for a vigorous action programme, including indefinite work abstention," Cuta President Professor Dr Md. Nurul Anwar said. "Formation of selection boards through tenure-expired syndicate is 'unlawful',” he said.

CU syndicate at a meeting on June 9 formed four-member selection board for each department and institute to appoint teachers amid protest by Cuta. Cuta observed two-day work abstention on June 9-10 protesting formation of the boards.

The pro-Jamaat teachers took classes in some departments of science and commerce faculty defying Cuta decision. They opposed the Cuta work abstention programme to back the selection boards reportedly to get appointed their fellow followers as teachers in the university, sources said.

The CU authorities had appointed around 95 teaches in last two years violating the planning commission recommendation. Of them, 70 teachers reportedly belong to the Jamaat and its students' wing Shibir and 20 were from the ruling Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP).

"The authorities have already made the university a hub of Shibir cadres appointing them as teachers. And it is the most odious thing that the authorities have formed the selection boards only to appoint the Shibir men through the tenure-expired syndicate, Cuta General Secretary Professor Dr. Gazi Saleh Uddin said.

Some teachers on condition of anonymity said that the selection boards were formed based on only political consideration.

"Junior teachers have been included in the boards as member even as expert as they are being backed by the ruling BNP or Jamaat depriving senior teachers, they said. Though there were professor level senior most teachers in the department of Anthropology, expert teachers under the category of external and internal member have been taken from Sociology and Economics department, a teacher of social science faculty said seeking anonymity.

Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. M Shamsuddin declined to make any comment on formation of the selection boards.

Vice-Chancellor Professor AJM Nuruddin Chowdhury told The Daily Star that tenures of different bodies including the registered graduate representatives of syndicate have already expired. "It is common practice of taking decision through the tenure-expired bodies as it is not possible to hold their elections timely due to various reasons," he added.

He said that the schedule of syndicate election has been announced and the election will be held on June 30.