Don't tarnish DU's image over recruitment
It is an unfortunate matter of moral degradation that certain union leaders of Ruqayyah Hall in Dhaka University have allegedly taken bribes to recruit Class IV employees of the dormitory.
In January, a similar kind of allegations of a Tk 6 million ‘recruitment business' was raised against some Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL) leaders of Jahangirnagar University unit.
BCL is the student wing of ruling Awami League.
On 25 July, Ruqayyah Hall provost professor Zinat Huda published a circular for recruiting Class IV employees in four posts.
A group of resident students of Ruqayyah Hall on Tuesday brought out an allegation that some hall union leaders embezzled Tk 2.1 million through irregularities in recruiting office assistants, gardeners and security guards.
The leaders are Dhaka University Central Students' Union (DUCSU) Ruqayyah Hall unit vice president (VP) Israt Jahan and general secretary (GS) Saima Promi, BCL hall unit president Lipi Akhter, general secretary Shraboni Disha and former central BCL leader Ishat Kashfia.
The students, who raised the allegation, submitted a memorandum to DU vice chancellor (VC) M Akhtaruzzaman in this regard and staged a demonstration on the campus against the alleged corruption. The VC assured the students to investigate the allegation. On the other hand, Ruqayyah Hall provost Zinat Huda ruled out the allegation terming it baseless.
Before that, professor Zinat Huda formed a committee headed by her to probe the allegation. But the students, who raised the allegation, think the 'recruitment business' was held with the help of the hall administration. They revealed an audio clip between an employee of the hall and Ruqayyah Hall's assistant general secretary (AGS) Falguni.
If the allegation is baseless, why did the hall union leaders assault one of the female students who raised the bribe allegation against them? She was assaulted when she came to record her deposition before the probe committee formed by the hall provost.
General students allege that the the admin always works for the interest of Chhatra League as if it were Chhatra League. This allegation is appropriate for all the residential hall admins of Dhaka University.
It was expected that there would be a better situation at Dhaka University after DUCSU and hall union elections. But that has not been so. The ruling party's student wing BCL controls the dorms. And, its leaders' involvement in the 'recruitment business' is a serious crime.
Taking the allegations into its cognizance, the university authorities formed a probe committee headed by Bangla department’s supernumerary professor Begum Akter Kamal and asked it to submit its report within seven working days.
We doubt that the truth will be revealed and the criminals will be brought to book. The committee that probed 'Tk 6 million recruitment business' at JU submitted its report before Eid-ul-Fitr but it is yet to be made public. Why is there always a hide and seek game with the probe reports?
We hope the probe body formed over Ruqayyah Hall recruitment business will submit its report within the scheduled time and it will be made public. This kind of incident tarnishes not only the image of hall admin but also the entire university.