Academic and administrative activities of Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur (BRUR) came to a halt due to the massive resignation of officials, and teachers including the vice-chancellor soon after the ouster of the AL government led by Sheikh Hasina.
According to sources, a total of 40 officials including VC, treasurer and proctor of the university quit their positions. Teachers and employees of the university have not yet received their August month salary.
Moreover, classes and examinations have not run for around three months due to the teachers’ pension scheme movement and students' quota reform movement for almost three months.
The students were returning to the residential dormitories last week but the authority has not yet begun their classes and the regular examinations amid a stagnant situation.
Teachers, officials and students said the current situation could not be overcome until the appointment of the VC.
According to university sources, there are 774 staff members. Of them, some 205 are teachers and 569 officials and employees. Teachers and employees have not yet received their last month's salary as the administrative posts remained vacant.
Meanwhile, the Social Science Faculty Dean, Mohammad MorshedHossain who was given charge to run financial and administrative activities temporarily by the dean's committee meeting, resigned the day after his joining.
Mohammad MorshedHossain, however, could not be reached over his cell phone for his comment despite repeated attempts.
Additional Director of Public Relations at the university, Mohammad Ali said, the academic activities of the university remained halted for around three months following the teacher’s pension scheme movement and the great quota reformation movement of the students. Teachers and students just come and go without attending to their duties.
Earlier the university became almost session-free. Students will fall into a session jam if the situation continues.
The Ministry of Education issued a circular recently to appoint a senior teacher to run the administrative and academic activities of the university on an emergency basis holding a meeting of the Deans committee as the top tier of administrative positions including the VC of the university had fallen vacant due to massive resignations.
Accordingly, on September 01 the university dean committee selected Mohammad MorshedHossain to run the administrative and academic activities of the university temporarily. However, the quota reformists waged a movement against his appointment on the campus. Following the situation, he quit the position the day after his appointment on September 02.
He also said teachers' and officials’ salaries are usually passed by the joint signature of the registrar and treasurer with the approval of the vice-chancellor. Treasurer resigned from his position and the registrar went on sick leave resulting in the difficulties of salary disbursement among the teachers and employees of the university.
SaydaYasmin, a student of the Gender and Development Studies department at the university said, the academic activities of the university remained halted for almost three months. The university was free from session jams previously. We have to face the session jam if the situation continues. She demanded to appoint the teachers and officials in vacant posts including the vice chancellor to run the university smoothly.
An official of the administrative section of the university requesting anonymity said that despite having a scholarship, an associate professor of the economics department, HabiburRahman has been facing difficulties in joining the foreign university for his higher studies due to the absence of the vice chancellor.
Talking to this correspondent, HabiburRahman said, he has been facing difficulties for his overseas higher educational trip as he has not yet got leave approval from the university despite having a government order from the Ministry of Education. He was supposed to fly to China on September 02 but failed. He had to reschedule his flight in the absence of the vice-chancellor.
Associate Professor of the Mass Communication and Journalism Department, TabiurRhaman, said that syndicate and academic council meetings could not be held due to the absence of the vice-chancellor, pro-vice chancellor, treasurer and other officials in the university. Academic activities almost remained shut in the university since July 01 due to the teachers’ pension scheme movement and students' anti-quota movement resulting in a stagnant situation.
He demanded the immediate appointment of the vice chancellor and other officials to run the university smoothly.
Meanwhile, the general students of the university held a press conference on Friday at Shahid Abu SayeedChattar of the university demanding to appoint the Vice Chancellor immediately. They also said, a new Bangladesh has emerged after the fall of the 16 years fascist regime.
They gave an ultimatum of five days to the interim government to appoint the vice chancellor to administer the university smoothly as well as to bring the mastermind and associates of the killing of Shahid Abu Sayeed on July 16 under trial and ensure proper treatment of the injured students.
