Probe incomplete after two years
This is completely unacceptable. The government and UGC didn't look into the allegations seriously enough. They run the university with taxpayers' money, and it is their responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability.
Jahangirnagar University Vice-Chancellor Prof Farzana Islam is going to complete her tenure for the second term on March 2, 2022. However, several allegations against her and JU BCL unit remain unresolved even after two years.
Dr Farzana is the first female VC in the country. But her tenure is marked with allegations of tender manipulation, bribery, and embezzlement of funds, which were raised in 2019. The VC has kept denying the allegations since then, and no proper investigation was done on the matter.
Durneetir Biruddhe Jahangirnagar (Jahangirnagar against corruption), a platform of JU teachers and students, has urged President Abdul Hamid to form a probe committee and submitted a written complaint to the chancellor. They also submitted a list of corruption allegations and evidence to University Grants Commission (UGC) and the education ministry, according to Professor Rayhan Rhyne, convenor of the platform.
Earlier, UGC formed a three-member committee to probe into all the allegations, Md Golam Dastagir, senior assistant director of UGC's public university management department, confirmed to this correspondent.
"UGC member Prof Muhammed Alamgir was appointed as convenor of the committee, while another member, Dr Dil Afroza Khanam, was appointed as a member. I was appointed as the member secretary," said Dastagir.
When asked about the investigation's progress, Dastagir said, "The allegations are yet to be probed. We failed to complete it, as we couldn't perform on-spot investigation due to the pandemic."
"It's a long process. We have to take interviews and investigate the documents provided to us."
"Dr Alamgir knows better about when we'll go to JU to investigate. Dr Afroza is currently abroad," he said when asked about the submission of the probe report.
Contacted, Prof Alamgir said, "I don't know anything about this, as I'm no longer affiliated with the committee. Golam Dastagir is in charge now." However, neither of them could tell the exact date of forming the committee, how long they have been investigating or the deadline of probe report submission.
"The authorities' silence work as certificates to carry on with the corruption. There has been no transparency. We didn't even know about the committee," said Rakibul Rony, president of Bangladesh Student Union's JU chapter.
Dr Laek Sazzad Andellah, president of JU Teachers' Association, said, "I think the probe committee doesn't see anything serious with the issues. Maybe that's why two years have passed and we still don't know of any progress."
"This is completely unacceptable. The government and UGC didn't look into the allegations seriously enough. They run the university with taxpayers' money, and it is their responsibility to ensure transparency and accountability," said Prof Anu Muhammad, eminent economist and JU faculty member.
This correspondent failed to contact the JU VC despite repeated attempts.
Comments