Recruitment of 138 RU teachers, staffers by ex-VC illegal: HC

The High Court today declared illegal the recruitment of 138 teachers and staff members of Rajshahi University appointed by the then Vice Chancellor Prof M Abdus Sobhan on May 5, 2021, the last days of his term.

An HC bench of Justice Naima Haider and Justice Kazi Zinat Hoque delivered the verdict on a writ petition filed challenging the legality of the recruitment.

The HC said the teachers and staffers can file fresh applications for recruitment to the RU and the authorities would consider their applications in accordance with law, RU's lawyer ABM Altaf Hossain and Deputy Attorney General Amit Das Gupta told The Daily Star.

Barrister Altaf Hossain said the RU can now resume the process for recruitment to the university under the amended recruitment rules following the HC verdict.

The full text of the verdict is yet to be released.

While delivering the verdict on the writ petition, the HC also observed that those who spend public funds must be responsible and accountable.

The authorities concerned should take appropriate action if the vice chancellor of any public university commits illegality, irregularity, and embezzlement during discharging functions, the HC bench said.

The Consumers Association of Bangladesh (CAB) submitted the writ petition as a public interest litigation to the HC on August 31, 2021, challenging the legality of former RU VC Abdus Sobhan's action of recruiting 138 teachers and staffers and the inaction of the government and ACC in taking action against Sobhan.

During a hearing of the petition, CAB's lawyer Jyotirmoy Barua told the HC that the then VC of RU Abdus Sobhan gave the appointment of 138 teachers and staff members at the university on May 5, 2021 violating the provision of Rajshahi University Act, 1973 during his tenure by framing the Teachers' Recruitment Policy, 2017.

Today, the HC scrapped the Teachers' Recruitment Policy, 2017 under which the recruitments were made.

The RU authorities have amended the rules in 2022, RU's lawyer Altaf Hossain added.