In a statement, PTS teachers said the committee members were controversial, have been accused of many corruption charges and they were controversially appointed during the BNP-Jamaat alliance government's tenure.

The UGC probe committee includes Prof Sultan Hossain, Prof Ehsanul Haque, Prof Muhammad Abdur Rahman and Prof Mijanur Rahman.

They said following the movement of PTS teachers the UGC formed the probe body on March 20, 2007 headed by Prof Mahabub Ullah. The PTS had protested then saying most of the committee members were BNP-Jamaat sympathisers and were accused of corruption.

The teachers had urged the caretaker government and the UGC chairman to form a neutral investigation committee headed by a High Court (HC) judge. Yesterday's PTS statement, signed by its 21 steering committee members, demanded immediate withdrawal of this committee.

Sources on the campus said the committee would start their investigation from today and probe the allegations of irregularities, corruption and nepotism in the appointment of more than 500 teachers, officials and employees during the BNP-Jamaat tenure.

The pro-Awami League (AL) teachers had brought the allegations against previous and present administrators of RU.

To ensure proper investigation, the probe committee is authorised to examine any documents, including classified documents of the syndicate, and question decisions of faculties and other departments concerned, sources said. The committee is also authorised to interrogate anyone and a memo in this regard was sent to the RU Registrar's office yesterday.

RU Registrar Prof Abdus Salam said the committee is supposed to submit their report within one month.

Last year, RU teachers' and students' organisations staged demonstrations against the RU administration for its alleged mass recruitment, corruption, irregularities and violations of the University Act.