Ex-VC’s recruits lock up crucial buildings at RU
Authorities at Rajshahi University (RU) were forced to suspend a financial committee meeting yesterday, after a number of the 137 staffers who were unlawfully recruited by former Vice Chancellor Prof Abdus Sobhan, locked administrative buildings, senate building and the VC's residence at the university.
University sources said a finance committee meeting was scheduled to be held around 10am yesterday, as well as a syndicate meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
But around 9:20am, some 30 staffers, mostly former and current Chhatra league leaders of the university, locked two administrative buildings, senate building and the VC residence to stop the meeting.
They also met acting VC Prof Ananda Kumar Saha at his residence for discussion around 9:50am, and demanded to allow them to join their posts. Later they took position before the administrative building.
Demonstrators said they fear their appointment might be cancelled at the syndicate meeting next Tuesday, unless they stop the meeting.
Former BCL leader Atiqur Rahman Sumon said, "We have heard the syndicate meeting may recommend the authority to cancel our recruitment. So we took position in the campus and locked those buildings to stop the finance committee meeting, in order to stop upcoming syndicate meeting."
Later around 11am, the administration suspended the finance committee meeting, RU acting proctor Liakat Ali told The Daily Star.
Acting VC Prof Anand Kumar Saha told journalists, "As we were at the end of the fiscal year, it was necessary to hold a meeting of the Finance Committee for the university. So we called the meeting. However, the meeting has been suspended due to unavoidable reasons."
He further said the present administration has no authority to sanction their recruitment. "We have to follow education ministry's order regarding the matter," he said.
On May 31, unlawfully recruited staffers had confined top four university officials including the acting VC, and put pressure demanding that they be allowed to join work.
On his last day in office on May 6, Prof Sobhan recruited at least 137 staffers, including nine teachers, sparking protests on the campus. The education ministry termed the recruitment illegal on the same day and initiated an investigation.
On May 8, the RU administration suspended the recruitment process.
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