CUET VC withholds teachers’, officials’ salaries amid protests

Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) has remained closed for 15 days amid protests by teachers, students, officers and employees demanding the reinstatement of the recently outgoing vice-chancellor (VC).

The new VC has so far been unable to enter the campus because of the protests. However, despite being unable to go to the campus, he instructed the concerned bank by email to withhold the salaries and allowances of CUET teachers, officers and employees.

On 29 September, newly appointed VC Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam emailed Jayanta Bhowmik, manager of Sonali Bank’s CUET branch, instructing him to withhold the salaries of teachers, officers and employees.

The withholding of salaries and allowances has caused difficulties for CUET staff. Hindu teachers, officers and employees, in particular, are facing difficulties as the Durga Puja festival is approaching.

On 21 September, the authorities removed Professor Abu Sadat Mohammad Sayem from the post of CUET vice-chancellor and appointed Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) as his replacement.

However, students launched a “complete shutdown” on 22 September, demanding Professor Abu Sadat’s reinstatement. Later, teachers, officers and employees also began a work abstention with the same demand.

Amid the protests by teachers, officers and employees, CUET’s new VC, Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam, joined the university on 24 September without going to the campus.

He said he had joined the university by sending his joining letter to the President and the Secretary of the Ministry of Education.

According to university sources, after receiving the email on 29 September, Jayanta Bhowmik, manager of Sonali Bank’s CUET branch, sent a reply to the new VC on 5 October.

He said he had received the salary bills for teachers, officers and employees bearing the signatures of the university’s Comptroller and Deputy Comptroller.

In response, the VC sent another email stating that sending salary bills to the bank without the VC’s prior approval was “unauthorised and illegal”.

In the email, the VC stated that under Section 13(7) of the CUET Act 2003, any financial transaction without the VC’s explicit approval was legally invalid.

He said that if any financial irregularity, undesirable situation or legal complication arose from such an unauthorised transaction, neither the VC nor the university authorities would bear any legal, administrative or financial liability.

He further stated that the two officials concerned would bear sole and full responsibility for any violation resulting from the preparation and submission of such unauthorised documents. He also said that Sonali Bank authorities would be held responsible for this.

When contacted, Jayanta Bhowmik, manager of Sonali Bank’s CUET branch, confirmed the authenticity of the email. He said, “The salaries have been withheld following the VC’s email. He sent emails informing Bangladesh Bank and everyone from Sonali Bank’s general manager to deputy general manager. The matter has been reported to the higher authorities, and a solution will come from there.”

The new vice-chancellor of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET), Professor Sheikh Shariful Alam, told Prothom Alo, “I called the Comptroller and other relevant officials to a meeting, but none of them attended. I then emailed the bank manager. In the email, I stated that if any financial irregularity, undesirable situation or legal complication arose from the transaction, neither the vice-chancellor nor the university authorities would bear any legal, administrative or financial liability. The bank authorities suspended the salaries after seeing this email.”

Syed Mohammad Ikram, president of the CUET Officers’ Association, told Prothom Alo, “According to the prevailing rules, the vice-chancellor’s signature is not required to pay salaries and bonuses. If someone receives a salary increment or promotion, the vice-chancellor’s signature may be required. Salaries and allowances have been paid this way all along.”

However, Vice-Chancellor Sheikh Shariful Alam has claimed that the practice CUET has followed to disburse salaries until now is legally invalid.

He told Prothom Alo, “The way salaries were being paid until now was not legally valid. According to the rules, the vice-chancellor’s approval must be obtained. However, this rule has not been followed until now.”

Regarding the withholding of salaries and allowances, Samiun Basir, joint secretary of the CUET Teachers’ Association, told Prothom Alo, “According to CUET’s longstanding practice, the September salary bill was submitted through the Comptroller. However, because of the vice-chancellor’s intervention, no one has received their salary so far.”

He said, “The new vice-chancellor may have withheld the salaries to demonstrate his authority. If the way salaries were being paid until now was against the rules, then he should deduct all the salaries everyone has received so far. Everyone is on a work abstention, so why would they go to a meeting with him?”