AL MP appoints foreigner to pvt university post in violation of rules

A Pakistani citizen has been illegally working at a private university in Chattogram for nearly two and a half years after being appointed by a local ruling-party lawmaker, who is also the chairman of board of trustees of the institution.

Mohammad Amin Nadwi is in the country on a tourist family (TF) visa. According to the country's immigration rules, a foreign national is prohibited from working with an TF visa. An employment (E) visa is required for a foreign national to work in the country.

He has been working as a teacher in the Arabic language and literature department of the International Islamic University Chattogram (IIUC) since he arrived in June 2021.

Teachers of the university said Abu Reza Muhammad Nezamuddin Nadwi, Chattogram-15 (Satkania-Lohagara) lawmaker and IIUC trustee board chairman, appointed Amin in multiple positions in violation of rules.

Abu Reza admitted to this newspaper that he appointed Amin.

Amin was also given the additional role of director (in-charge) of the morality development programme (MDP) of the university on December 13 of 2021, according to an office order signed by the IIUC registrar.

Amin, who is married to a Bangladeshi woman and currently based in Dubai, holds a Pakistani passport (AB9490613). He obtained the TF visa on June 25, 2021, to travel to Bangladesh. The visa has been extended on a number of occasions.

Contacted, IIUC Vice-Chancellor Anwarul Azim Arif told The Daily Star, "Amin is a close friend of the trustee board Chairman Abu Reza . The chairman appointed him."

Some teachers, preferring anonymity, said misusing his power, Abu Reza recently made Amin a campus coordinator, mosque and library committee member.

They also alleged that Amin was drawing his salary now worth around Tk 1.5 lakh in cash and is also enjoying accomodation and other facilities. The IIUC authorities cannot deposit his salary in the bank account as he was not appointed as per the recruitment rules of the university, they said.

Amin refuted all the allegations, saying he was assisting the IIUC trustee board chairman instead of working at the university.

"I assist Abu Reza, the chairman of the board of trustees of IIUC, in various matters. He is my childhood friend. I was born in Madrasha area of Satkania upazila of Chattogram. I am not a Pakistani citizen," Amin told The Daily Star over phone.

AL lawmaker Abu Reza Nadwi, however, was frank about Amin's identity.

"I have appointed Amin knowingly. I have applied to the Ministry of Home Affairs to change his citizenship. It will come into effect within a month or two," Reza Nadwi told The Daily Star.

When asked about the legality of Amin's employment at the IIUC, the AL lawmaker said, "What I will say in IIUC is law or rule. What is your problem with the appointment of a Pakistani citizen at IIUC? If there is any irregularity, law enforcement agencies will look into it. Why are you making a fuss about it?"

Established in 1995 as Islamic University Chattogram and ungraded to IIUC in 2000, the institution currently has 14,000 students from home and abroad, according to the IIUC website.