‘Honorarium for doing the bare minimum’

Pretty much every year, teachers and administrators of Jahangirnagar University (JU) distribute a huge amount of money among themselves as honorariums for "extra services", like preparing for and invigilating the admission tests.

After looking into the distribution for the 2019-20 academic session, University Grants Commission said the distribution "needed to be more logical".

Moreover, it mentioned that such tasks are part of the duties of JU's teachers and administrators.

The commission did not investigate other sessions, as it was only instructed to probe this one, said Abu Taher, a member of UGC.

From sources, The Daily Star has found details of the ordered honorariums, approved by the university's syndicate and finance committee, for the last five years.

As per the order, for the 2020-21 admission test, former vice chancellor Farzana Islam was set to receive Tk 2.86 lakh. Two pro-vice chancellors and the treasurer were to receive Tk 2.81 lakh each. Tk 1.38 lakh was supposed to be given to each teacher who performed the duty. Officers related to the admission test were to receive Tk 69,000 each.

For 2019-20, the VC was set to get Tk 3.40 lakh; two pro-VCs and treasurer Tk 3.35 lakh each; Teachers Tk 1.65 lakh each; and officers Tk 82,500 each. Overall, around Tk 12.63 crore of honorariums were supposed to be distributed that year.

In 2017-18 session, teachers were to receive Tk 1.4 lakh each. The Daily Star only found a part of that academic year's information. A document shows that the authorities allocated Tk 1 lakh for a portion of the VC's honorarium.

Similarly huge amounts were distributed in the other three academic years. According to the financial documents, honorariums are given for two services, performing separate duties during the admission test and being a member of the central admission test's governing body.

The money is determined based on the amount of work done, like the number of shifts completed or participation in meetings.

This system is not a part of any overarching law. It is the university's own practice. Moreover, in some years, in the name of "dignity", the same amount of honorarium is given to top administrators, regardless of the amount of work they have done.

For 2020-21, Prof Dr Amir Hossain, former pro-VC (administration), received Tk 1.43 lakh for being a member of the admission test's governing body, while Prof Sheikh Monjurul Haq, the current pro-VC, received the same amount.

Prof Amir said, "I attended eight meetings as the pro-VC. So, I was given the full honorarium."

Treasurer Rasheda Akhtar, also chair of the university's finance committee, said, "Pro-VCs are seniors and respectable persons. Distributing money among them based on work is insulting and the practice of awarding them with the full honorarium is nothing new."

Prof Anu Muhammad, economist and former faculty member of JU, termed this form of distribution illogical.

"This is unacceptable and insulting for us. Not only for five years, this has been going on for more than a decade. The authorities grab a huge amount of money in name of honorariums. The work they do is the bare minimum for such amounts."

"UGC has submitted a report for the 2019-20 session. But this is not enough. An overall investigation is needed for every session. The authorities should lower the money taken for admission forms and ensure that the money earned from admission tests be used for the university's welfare," he added.

VC Prof Nurul Alam said, "I rejected a big amount of this year's honorarium allocated for me."

The authorities, however, did not explain the rationale behind such honorariums.