Ex-bureaucrat’s appointment at public university irks teachers
The appointment of a former additional secretary as treasurer of Bangamata Sheikh Fojilatunnesa Mujib Science and Technology University in Jamalpur has irked teachers of public universities.
They said such an appointment was not a breach of the university law, but it is "unethical" and "unacceptable" and that they would announce programmes against the decision soon.
A teachers' leader said it was a "test case" and if the authorities became successful, they would try to appoint more former bureaucrats to different positions of universities.
Former additional secretary Abdul Mannan was appointed as treasurer of Bangamata Sheikh Fojilatunnesa Mujib Science and Technology University, with the approval of President Abdul Hamid, also the chancellor of universities, said a Secondary and Higher Education Division gazette notification issued on Wednesday.
Prof Nizamul Hoque Bhuiyan, secretary general of Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers' Association, said they were stunned by the government decision.
"It is unethical and unacceptable. We condemn the decision. We will hold a meeting on Saturday and declare programmes protesting the decision," he said.
Although appointment of a former bureaucrat was not a breach of the university law, there is tradition that university teachers usually become treasurers, he said.
Criticising the decision, Dhaka University Teachers' Association President Prof Rahmat Ullah said, "This is an unfortunate incident ... it is a test case, they [government] will appoint more people to different positions."
"Wait and see, you might find former bureaucrats in the top positions of universities," he added.
AKM Aftab Hossain Pramanik, additional secretary of Secondary and Higher Education Division, said the appointment was made in line with the law of the university. "There is no clause that only a teacher will be a university treasurer."
He refused to comment on the teachers' concern against the decision.
A top education ministry official said the university was established in 2018 and it was upgraded from an agriculture college.
"So, the authorities did not find any well qualified person among the university teachers to appoint him as treasurer. They thought as many administrative works of the university are incomplete, an experienced administrative person will help them do the job," the official said.
Earlier, the incumbent government appointed two former additional secretaries as treasurer and registrar of Islamic Arabic University and a government college teacher as Jashore University of Science and Technology treasurer.
Teachers had protested a government decision of giving Sher-e-Bangla Agriculture University registrar the charge of vice-chancellor of the university.
The registrar was not a teacher.
Comments