Prof Dr Md Sadequl Arefin has been appointed the new vice-chancellor of Barishal University (BU), five months after the tenure of his predecessor Prof Dr SM Imamul Haq expired.

The government also appointed Prof Shireen Akhter as the new VC of Chittagong University and reappointed Prof Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman as VC of Dhaka University.

Three separate gazette notifications were issued yesterday by the education ministry in this regard.

The vice-chancellor’s post of Barishal University has remained vacant since May 27, halting its academic and administrative activities.

The authorities had to suspend the admission tests for 2019-20 session, scheduled for October 18-19 as the posts of VC, treasurer and registrar remained vacant.

The university registrar was dismissed in April on moral grounds while Treasurer Mahbub Hasan returned to DU on October 7. The chief examination controller’s post is also vacant.

Due to the vacancies, the authorities could not hold academic, financial and syndicate meetings for last six months.

Earlier, Prof Imamul applied for a leave and was subsequently sent on one on April 11 amid student protests that sparked on Independence Day programme.

The former VC rejoined the office on May 27 -- the day his tenure expired, paving the way for a fresh appointment.

The VC allegedly launched a tirade after students demonstrated on campus, protesting their exclusion from the programme on campus.

President Abdul Hamid, chancellor of the university, appointed Dr Sadequl Arefin, a professor of social work department of Rajshahi University, for the next four years, the notification said.

CHITTAGONG UNIVERSITY

Meanwhile, Prof Shireen Akhter will be serving as the VC of Chittagong University until a regular VC is appointed through the elected panel of the university’s senate, or a fresh order is issued in this regard, said a gazette notification.

Born in Cox’s Bazar on May 1, 1956, Shireen completed her SSC in 1973 and HSC in 1975 from Chittagong Girls College. She obtained her BA and MA degrees in Bengali Language and Literature from CU in 1976 and 1981 respectively.

She joined CU as a lecturer of the department in 1996 after completing her PhD from Jadavpur University, Kolkata.

She was relieved from her post prior to her appointment as the VC.

DHAKA UNIVERSITY

A special senate session of DU on July 31, 2019 nominated Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman, pro-VC (admin) Dr Muhammad Samad and Prof Maksud Kamal as members of the VC panel.

On September 4, 2017, the president appointed Dr Akhtaruzzaman, a professor of Islamic History and Culture, as an acting VC on certain conditions as the tenure of then VC Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique expired.

Before that, Dr Akhtaruzzaman was holding the post of pro-VC. The orders will be effective immediately, the notifications said.