BOU at standstill

Academic and administrative activities at Bangladesh Open University (BOU), country's lone public institution for distant learning, came to a virtual standstill as the institution has been running without a vice chancellor (VC) for around 10 days now.
The tenure of its VC Prof Aminur Rashid ended on January 24, yet the government did not appoint anyone to the post as of yesterday.
Teachers and officials of BOU said since the university act entrusts the VC with authority over all academic and administrative activities, BOU's operations have been stalled in the absence of a VC.
If the impasse prolongs, it might plunge BOU into a severe session jam, causing irreparable loss to the academic lives of around 4.5 lakh students of its 19 academic programmes.
They also said a number of examinations under the university may get delayed as necessary arrangements for them require VC's approval.
Printing of question papers for the HSC programme examination, scheduled next month, awaits VC's approval while the SSC programme examination results could not be published on time for similar reason, said campus sources.
BOU Pro-VC Prof Khondoker Mokaddem Hossain said, "From policy work to routine work, everything came to a standstill. We have not received any order from the Chancellor Secretariat to run the university in the absence of a VC."
He urged the government for immediate steps to solve the matter.
Contacted, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid said a few other universities lack VC and the ministry is working to solve the issue soon.