Special senate session at DU today

A special senate session of Dhaka University will sit today to elect a three-member panel towards selecting a vice-chancellor. Through this, Dhaka University is likely to get a VC through a panel after six years.

DU VC Prof Dr Md Akhtaruzzaman has called the special senate meeting under Article 21(1) of Dhaka University Order-1973 at 3:30pm today at Nabab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Bhaban on campus, said a DU press release.

President Abdul Hamid, also chancellor of the university, will appoint one from the panel as the DU VC under Article 11(1) of Dhaka University Order-1973.

Article 11(1) says, “The Vice-Chancellor shall be appointed by the Chancellor for a period of four years from a panel of three persons to be nominated by the Senate on such terms and conditions as may be determined by the Chancellor, and shall be eligible for re-appointment for a further period of four years.”

The session will be held with a full-fledged senate almost after three decades.

On August 24, 2013, President Abdul Hamid appointed Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique as the vice-chancellor, after the latter was elected into the three-member panel. 

Another VC-panel election was held on July 29, 2017 which nominated a three-member panel including the then VC Prof Arefin Siddique.

Following a writ petition filed with the High Court by 16 teachers and registered DU graduates, challenging legality of the special meeting, the Supreme Court on August 4, 2017 stayed the functions of the three-member panel.

On September 4, 2017, Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman, the then pro-VC, was made vice-chancellor, replacing Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique at the end of his tenure.

The High Court on October 10, 2017, declared illegal the three-member panel elected by the Dhaka University senate on July 29, and directed DU authorities to finish the process for constituting a full-fledged senate in six months to elect the panel for appointing its new vice-chancellor.

Teachers have become more active in politics, centring the election. 

BLUE PANEL FINALISES SELECTION

The pro-Awami League Blue Panel teachers already held a series of meetings to finalise their panel.

The BNP-backed White Panel teachers are yet to decide whether they would submit a panel or not.

“We have a small number of teachers as our party has been out of power for a long time. We are yet to decide on submitting panel and would take the decision considering the overall situation,” Prof ABM Obaidul Islam, convener of the White Panel, told The Daily Star.

After failing to a reach a consensus in their first meeting held on Sunday, Blue Panel teachers finalised their panel through election at the second meeting held yesterday, a Blue Panel teacher, seeking anonymity, told The Daily Star. 

Sources said, incumbent VC, Pro-VC (administration) Prof Muhammad Samad and Dhaka University Teachers’ Association President Prof ASM Maksud Kamal are likely to be in the panel.

The panel would be elected through direct votes of the senators and the panel submitted by Blue Panel would be elected uncontested if no other panel is submitted.