Pro-VC among 6 to visit Turkey to buy lifts

A six-member delegation of Pabna University of Science and Technology (PUST) led by its pro-vice chancellor SM Mostafa Kamal Khan is set to visit Turkey to buy lifts for a building of the university.

Though they were supposed to visit Turkey on 9 May, the date has been rescheduled to 6 June.

They would stay there for 10 days. Project director of the university’s ongoing construction works disclosed this to the university’s registrar through a letter recently. The project director is also a member of the team.

Civil society members have been slamming the arrangement to visit Turkey on the pretext of buying lifts. They said visiting abroad for such trivial reasons is nothing but luxury and waste of public money.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Pabna Chamber of Commerce and Industries director ABM Fazlur Rahman said there are large firms in the country now that can supply lifts. The details of lifts can also be checked through internet. Such a visit is nothing but luxury at this time of economic crisis. This is a waste of public money too.

The university authorities, however, came up with a different explanation. PUST pro-vice chancellor SM Mostafa Kamal Khan on Tuesday afternoon told Prothom Alo, “People nowadays even check properly when they go to buy a shirt. The project was taken four years ago. Neither the university, nor the government has any involvement with this.”

Pro-vice chancellor SM Mostafa Kamal Khan will lead the team while treasurer KM Salah Uddin will be the deputy leader, and university’s project director GM Azizur Rahman is the member secretary.

Three other members are: acting engineer of the university Farid Ahmed, deputy engineer Md Ripon Ali and Zaheer Mohammad Ziaul Abedin.

Sources from the Pabna University of Science and Technology said construction work of five academic and residential buildings have been going on. Twenty five lifts are required for the buildings. The visit has been organised to buy the lifts.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, Pabna district committee of civic platform Shushashoner Jonno Nagorik (SHUJAN) president Abdul Matin Khan said, “This visit of the university teachers abroad to buy lifts for university buildings is not justifiable at all. Clearly this is a waste of money. I would say this a waste even if the visit is financed by the contractor.”

Project director of the ongoing construction work of the university GM Azizur Rahman said, “The visit is taking place following all the rules. It would not require extra money of the government. The contractor company will bear the cost.”

Vice chancellor of Pabna University of Science and Technology Hafiza Khatun said, “The visit has been approved a long time ago. It was supposed to take place earlier. We had waited respecting the directives of the prime minister.”