Follow-upRU Music, Drama Dept Stalemate
Committee submits report with recommendations
Authorities of Rajshahi University (RU) on Monday night formed a committee to resolve the music and drama department issue.
In an emergency syndicate meeting, chaired by the Vice-Chancellor Prof Abdus Sobhan, they formed the body, headed by Institute of Business Administration (IBA) director Prof Mukhlesur Rahman and asked it to submit a report within 24 hours.
The other members of the committee are Syndicate members Zulfiker Matin, Dr Rustom Uddin Ahmed, Agriculture faculty dean Sohrab Ali and Ruta secretary Mushfiq Ahmed.
The teachers of the department were observing work abstention from Thursday last demanding removal of department chairman Prof. Moloy Bhoumick alleging that he took several arbitrary decisions ignoring the academic and planning committee since taking office on November 10, 2009.
The students of the department also joined the teachers on Saturday.
Other allegations against Prof Bhoumick include fixing the Masters final examination date of the 2009 batch brushing aside the concern of other members of the examination committee and issuing of threats and misbehaviour with colleagues.
Prof Bhoumick demanded investigation into the charges brought against him by the teachers through a press conference on Saturday. He also claimed himself innocent and said he neither took any arbitrary decision nor defied the university acts.
RU rice chancellor Prof Abdus Sobhan met with the protesting teachers and students and sought two days to resolve the problem while they were staging sit-in in front of his (VC) residence on Monday.
But the protesters vowed to continue their programmes including sit-in and work abstention until the demand was met.
Prof Mukhlesur Rahman, chief of the committee to settle the issue, told this correspondent that they submitted a report to the authorities yesterday afternoon with a few recommendations.
"We placed the report after talking with the department chairman and the representatives of the agitating teachers and students,” he said.
RU vice chancellor Prof Abdus Sobhan said steps will be taken on the basis of the report placed by the committee at a Syndicate meeting as soon as possible.
Meanwhile, no classes and examinations were held at the department yesterday. The departmental chairman's office remained locked as the teachers put the office under lock and key on Thursday.
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