Illegal recruitment at Rajshahi University: NBR seeks bank information of 4 including ex-proctor

National Board of Revenue has sought bank information of four people, including former Rajshahi University proctor Prof Lutfar Rahman, and former RU BCL leader Ibrahim Hossain Moon.

Prof Lutfar was the RU proctor during former vice chancellor Prof Abdus Sobhan's tenure while Moon who runs a restaurant near the campus was RU BCL president in 2005.

The development came after their names surfaced during the investigation of Ministry of Education for abetting the former RU VC Prof Abdus Sobhan in unlawful recruitment and amassing wealth by collecting bribes from job seekers.

Two other persons are Prof Lutfar's wife Monira Yasmin and Moon's wife Ayesha Siddika, whose bank information was also sought in the same NBR letter.

In a letter issued on May 30, Central Intelligence Cell of NBR sought all types of information on the four persons from different banks and asked them to report within seven days of receiving the letter.

Earlier in another letter on May 24, NBR sought bank information of former RU Vice Chancellor Prof Abdus Sobhan, his wife Monowara Sobhan, son Mushfiq Sobhan, daughter Sanjana Sobhan and son-in-law ATM Shahed Parvez.

Prof Sobhan on his last day of office on May 6 recruited at least 137 staffers including nine teachers creating chaos on campus.

The Ministry of Education on the same day announced the recruitment illegal and initiated an investigation.

On May 8, the RU administration suspended the recruitment processes.

In another development today, most of the 137 illegally recruited staffers laid seige at RU administrative building, demanding they be allowed to join work.

They confined four top officials including Prof Ananda Kumar Saha who is given the routine duties of the VC, and another Pro VC Prof Chowdhury Muhammad Zakaria at the VC's conference room since 12pm.

Talking to The Daily Star, RU proctor Liakat Ali said, the persons employed on May 6 were still confining the RU officials until 5pm.

The agitators were not allowing anyone to enter or go out of the office, he said adding that they held meetings with the authorities frequently.

"Present administration has no authority to sanction their recruitment, but the agitators were not willing to pay heed," he said.

He said the authority did not call police to avoid any untoward incident and added that the police were guarding the area.