CU: Investigate irregularities, waste of money in recruitment

The protest programmes that the Chittagong University Teachers' Association (CUTA) have been organising since Sunday demanding the resignation of vice-chancellor and pro-vice-chancellor cannot be termed politically motivated. As VC Shireen Akhter and pro-VC Benu Kumar Dey have been appointed to those positions as trusted persons of the government, similarly leaders of the CUTA are supporters of Awami League.

The Chittagong University runs as per the Chittagong University Act, 1973. The ACT states the planning committee of the respective department decides how many teachers will be recruited at which department. It follows the publication of advertisements against vacant posts. Then applications are scrutinized in light with the advertisement. After that, this information was forwarded to the recruitment board, which then interviews candidates and recommends for recruitment. Finally, the recruitment was made at the syndicate meeting.

Though no such recommendations were made by law or Bangla departments of the university, the VC started the teachers’ recruitment process under the special power bestowed upon her, and interview of candidates have already been conducted at the law departments, while interview has been postponed at the Bangla department in face of objections.

The CUTA placed a 26-point demand including the cancellation of teachers’ recruitment on 27 November and gave the university authorities a 7-day deadline to meet their demands. As the university administration took no action, the CUTA started a sit-in programme on Sunday pressing their one-point demand, and that is the resignation of VC and pro-VC. Agitated teachers observed sit-in for two hours on Sunday and Monday. They are observing this token protest so that students’ study is not hampered. And, they may go for tougher movements in future.

A healthy relationship is necessary between administration and teachers to run a university smoothly. As per the 1973 Acts, VCs are supposed to be appointed at least in four universities following the Syndicate’s recommendation, but the government hardly abides by it. As a result, the administration and teachers’ association are confronting each other on the operations of various universities. VCs of many universities were forced to resign in the face of the teachers' movement. The incumbent VC of Chittagong University is also a former teacher of this institution. Yet, the VC is reluctant to discuss the demands of the teachers’ association.

If we bring the teachers’ recruitment and inauguration scandal of Chittagong University together, we see the taxpayers' money has been wasted disproportionately. The Chittagong University authorities spent Tk 4.46 million on the inauguration of the academic building of the university’s Marine Science and Fisheries Faculty. Education minister Dipu Moni was the chief guest at the event. It is okay that the education minister inaugurated a new building of the university, but where students often experience accommodation and transport crises at universities due to the crisis of money, what is the rationality of inaugurating a building with huge spending? Will the university administration have no accountability?

Tension may arise between teachers and administration at any university and that must be resolved through discussion. The VC of Chittagong University neither called the teachers’ association leaders to her office nor listened to them, and that is an abuse of power.

What irregularities have taken place in the recruitment of teachers and the inauguration of the building must be investigated, and those who are responsible must be held accountable.