Academics for recruiting meritorious teachers at DU to enhance quality

Academics and senior faculty members of the country’s leading educational institution Dhaka University (DU) Friday suggested recruiting meritorious teachers so that they could contribute to the field of education and research to further enhance the standard of the 100-year old university.

“Bringing meritorious teacher is a must for a university to contribute in the fields of research and publication, and practicing knowledge,” educationist professor Serajul Islam Choudhury told BSS as DU marked its 100th founding anniversary on Thursday.

He said only getting meritorious teachers will not fulfill the job, they should be encouraged in doing those acts.

“There is no alternative to bringing meritorious teachers to enhance the standard of education at the university. Meritorious teachers who went abroad should also be brought back,” he said.

Choudhury, a professor emeritus at DU English department, said the DU got a large number of meritorious teachers before and after the independence.

But ironically all of them did not stay there as some went abroad and didn't return, some switched their jobs to government services and there were many other reasons to this end, he said.

"Now the value of knowledge has decayed in society. When value of knowledge decays in society, it also degrades in universities too,” he said.

He said the teachers didn’t get the proper dignity by practicing knowledge at the university and that is why the teachers are concentrating on earning money to cope with society.

On the other hand, practicing knowledge doesn’t get encouragement inside the university as well, he said, adding that teachers are not encouraged in creating new theories, writing books, articles and so on at the university.

He suggested that the promotion of teachers must be based on research works.

Referring to the social role played by its teachers and students in different movements since its inception on July 1 in 1921, the academician said DU contributed hugely to social expansion in the country.

No other university had to play such social responsibilities to the extent the Dhaka University had to do, he said.

"To play social role was a must for Dhaka University, which was the first university in the then East Bengal, because the society was backward, downtrodden and poverty-driven. To play that social responsibility, the university had to confront the state repeatedly," he said.

The academician said because of the hostility, the university students had waged movements, conflicts and violence took place, university was shut down time and again, shading of blood occurred.

“These incidents are not expected by any means for a university. So, the university achieved a lot amidst adverse atmosphere," he said.

He underscored the need for ensuring complete autonym for the university to let it be an ideal one likewise the world's top universities following the footprints of Bangabandhu who gave institutional autonomy to it by granting the DU order, 1973.

Revisiting the historical background, the eminent academician said the university had to face different attacks during the Pakistani rule and there was no chance to get favor from the state mechanism during British rule.

“Before the country's independence, the university did not get state's favor . . . there was no chance to have it in British rule. During Pakistani rules, attacks came on that university time and again. Yahya Khan had snatched its autonomy and after assuming power, Ayub Khan had wanted to completely devastate the university by enacting a black law in 1961," he recalled while describing the significance of a university's autonomy.

Talking to BSS, Bangla Academy president and national professor Rafiqul Islam described the university's role in the country's most glorious chapter of struggles for independence and the 1971 liberation war as well as all other democratic movements, including 1952 language movement, 1962 education movement, 1966 six-point movement and 1969 mass upsurge.

No other university in the world has the record of making such extent of contributions and sacrifice in attaining independence for a country as numerous teachers and students of that university had embraced martyrdom for the liberation of the nation, he added.

“So, when we will evaluate the role and contribution of Dhaka University, we should not only focus on its progress in the field of academic activities and research rather we must evaluate its contribution to national issues, including creation of an independent and sovereign nation state - Bangladesh,” he mentioned.

Prof Rafiqul Islam said the DU has the highest level of contributions among all institutions which played significant role in the country’s liberation war in 1971.

He said the history of bangalee’s struggle for freedom and the history of DU are intertwined and it marched forward on horizontal line.

The academician underscored the need for enhancing the budgetary allocation for the university and enhancing the university's allocation in the field of research so that its teachers and student can conduct fundamental and in-depth researches.

Educationist and historian prof Syed Anwar Hussain said at the outset it was told that the Dhaka University was built like the structural shape of University of Oxford and that is why it is called Oxford of the East while Allahabad University was also built in the same way, he said.

He said the DU had created an enlightened middle class community after its inception in 1921 as its teachers and students took part in all democratic movements of this soil, including the liberation war, cultural practices and movements as well as exercise of knowledge.

Anwar Hussain, also a supernumerary professor of history at DU and Bangabandhu Chair at Bangladesh University of Professionals (BUP), said DU not only contributed to the flourishing of the middle class community of this region but also it drew attention of the world community through research and inventions.

Referring to world famous physicist Satyendra Nath Bose, who is best known for his work on quantum mechanics in the early 1920s, collaborating with Albert Einstein in developing the foundation for Bose–Einstein statistics and the theory of the Bose–Einstein condensate, he said teachers like Bose brought glory for DU.

The academician said DU teacher Hara Prasad Shastri, who discovered the Charyapada, the earliest known examples of Bengali literature, played an important role to the flourishing of Bangla language and literature.

He said the DU along with other universities is losing past glory due to some setbacks as it did not put much emphasis on merit, wisdom and academic excellence in recruiting teachers.

Professor Anwar Hussain hoped the university would retrieve its glorious past by making its marks in the field of education and research.

Dhaka University former vice-chancellor and chairman of the board of directors of Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS) professor AAMS Arefin Siddique said father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman had did a remarkable job by giving Dhaka University Order 1973 that ensures the autonym of the university.

"Bangabandhu used to respect the university teachers and students and gave dignity to them that is why at his first chance after the independence, he abolished the black law under which the university was administered during the Pakistani regime and gave the 1973 order to the university ensuring its autonomy," he said.

Hadn't the university that autonomy, it could not run independently and democratically during the black chapters of the country under the regime of several military backed rulers after the brutal assassination of Bangabandhu, the noted academician said, mentioning that architect of independent Bangladesh had very close ties and profound love for the university in his heart and that is why he had ensured independence and autonomy of the university.