CU drama deptt runs with one student, but without teacher!

The department is now running with only one student in MA class and without any teacher for the last six months. The department has not enrolled any student since 1999.

The CU introduced the course on drama for the first time as a subsidiary course of Fine Arts Department in 1972. And admission to the master’s degree programme began in 1984.

The students who completed honours from Fine Arts and obtained Bachelor in Fine Arts (BFF) from any recognised institutions allowed to be admitted to the department.

The CU authorities introduced honours course in drama in 1991 under Fine Arts and started enrolling students without appointing adequate teachers.

Of the three permanent teachers, Professor Kamaluddin Nilu had gone abroad after three years of his appointment and did not return yet while another teacher--Rahmat Ali is absent for long due to reason unknown. Besides, Professor Zia Haider, chairman of the department, retired in 2000.

Meanwhile, the CU authorities appointed two local actors and two teachers from Bengali and Communication & Journalism departments as part-time lecturers for one year. But the duration of the part-timers expired in June.

Though the authorities had published circular for several times to recruit teachers but failed following the internal conflicts of some influential teachers of Fine Arts, university sources said.

On the other hand, the University Grant Commission (UGC) in 1997 had recommended to the Drama Department to come out of the Fine Arts Department and function as a full-fledged department. But Prof Zia Haider took stance against the UGC recommendation demanding upgradating of the Fine Arts department into an institute.

Subir Mohajan, only student of the department, said that two other students left the department getting better chance.

"Now I am the only student in the department and have been suffering from an unspeakable misery since my admission. I set for 10 courses in my honours final examination. But believe it or not, the department had not arranged even a single class for me," an outraged Subir said.

He said that he completed his three years' honours course in six years in August this year.

"The authorities are reluctant to admit me into masters course and the Fine Arts department have asked me to try for admission into any other universities or institution for MA," he added.

Shahid Ullah who taught in Drama as a part-time teacher told The Daily Star that he had taught in the department for two years without any payment as the department had no fund.

"Only the apathetic attitude of the teachers of Fine Arts is the cause of the present state of the Drama Department," he said.

Vice-chancellor Professor AJM Nuruddin Chowdhury told The Daily Star that the authorities have decided not to admit students in Drama Department in the current session.

"The department is being run with ill-managed approach from the very beginning and the present state is nothing but its consequences. That's why students don't feel interested to admit into the department. We have no alternative but to close down the department," he added.