Mymensingh Engineering College (MEC), the lone engineering college in Mymensingh region, has been running without appointment of permanent teachers and staff for eight years.

The college, established in 2008, started its academic activities in 2009. It is being run by guest and temporary teachers since the beginning, some students told this correspondent.

The employees are on deputation or on temporary basis, college sources said.

Teachers from Mymensingh Polytechnic Institute and Government Ananda Mohan College are taking classes since the opening of academic activities at MEC, said Habibur Rahman Habib, a final year student of electrical and electronic engineering department.

The authorities say appointment of permanent teachers will be made early next year, Habib added.

"We are not getting standard education due to lack of quality teachers at the college," some students said. 

The students demanded appointment of teachers from merit lists of different engineering universities of the country.

The college was expected to run three departments -- electrical and electronic engineering, civil engineering, and computer science and engineering.

Though the first two departments were opened, the computer science and engineering department is yet to be started due to lack of teachers and employees, said Fayzul Bari Emu, a final year student of electrical and electronic engineering department.

A laboratory for the computer science and engineering department was set up with modern equipment, but those have been lying idle for years, lamented the students.

If the department is opened, hundreds of students will be able to study this subject, they added.

There are 420 students, including 70 female students, in two departments, sources said.

As there are no appointed teachers, students have to pay Tk 3,100 for every six-month semester to pay the guest teachers, which is an extra burden for the students, Habib said.

They also have to pay Tk 300 as hall charge, which is much higher than in other government engineering institutions, some students said.

The college has no playground or cafeteria.

Principal (in-charge) Dr Md Nazrul Islam said they are trying to get permanent teachers soon to provide quality education.

Dr Nazrul Islam is also principal of Mymensingh Polytechnic Institute.

On opening of computer science and engineering department, the principal said the department could not be run as necessary teachers are yet to be appointed.

The students held protests on several occasions, including human chains, road blockades and processions, demanding immediate appointment of permanent teachers. Though the authorities assured the students that their demands would be met, the situation is as it was before, the students said.