JU stalemate continues

Jahangirnagar University Vice-Chancellor Prof Anwar Hossain with his family members at his office on the campus yesterday. Some teachers have confined him to his office since Wednesday demanding his removal. Photo: Palash Khan

Session jam at Jahangirnagar University is on the rise, thanks to teachers' movements over the last one year demanding Vice-Chancellor Prof Anwar Hossain's removal.
Since the appointment of Prof Anwar in May last year, the university has witnessed frequent agitations of teachers that left numerous classes and examinations suspended, increasing the existing session jam by at least two months.
Departments like economics and environmental science still have seven batches, in place of five including the outgoing batch of Masters.
On top of that, the admission for the 2013-14 session will also be seriously hampered due to the crisis.
Students and teachers fear if the situation lingers for another two or three months the whole academic year of around 15,000 students will be wasted. The academic calendar has only four months remaining.
Meanwhile, the crisis at the university did not improve yesterday as a faction of teachers remained firm on their demand for the VC's removal while the VC is unwilling to step down.
Under the banner Sadharon Shikkhak Forum, some 50 teachers of the university confined Prof Anwar Hossain to his office since 11:00am Wednesday demanding his removal.
They have brought 18 allegations against him. The major ones are anomaly in the admission process and teachers' appointments, and ruining the campus by taking up unnecessary projects and misusing university funds.
Meanwhile, despite continuous contact the education ministry failed to find a solution to the ongoing crisis as of last night.
Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid is expected to sit with the teachers today at 5:00pm. Contacted, he expressed hope to find a peaceful solution through the talks.
Students, however, are demanding immediate end to the deadlock.
The left students' organisations at the university have been reported to be preparing to stage demonstrations to have the classes and exams resumed.
Since July last year, academic activities of the university remained suspended for 34 days. Of those, 24 days were lost due to the movement of JU Teachers' Association, according to the university administration.
The administrative activities of the university also remained suspended for 43 days due to the association's sit-in in front of the administrative building.
Owing to the agitations, the university also could not hold the annual senate meeting, where the yearly budget is approved; four syndicate meetings; and two academic council meetings.
Meanwhile, Ayesha Akhter, wife of VC Prof Anwar, alleged that a teacher had misbehaved with her yesterday when  she went to the VC office to meet her husband.
Saidur Rashid, the teacher who allegedly misbehaved with her, told reporters that he had only asked Ayesha Akhter to follow the proper procedure as a movement was going on.
The forum teachers also restricted the media from meeting the VC.
Hanif Ali, convener of the forum, at a press conference held on the campus in the evening told reporters that the media could meet the VC thrice a day and that they had made the decision considering his health.
In the press conference, the forum teachers claimed that about 370 more teachers had expressed solidarity with them.
Kamrul Ahsan, secretary of the forum, said they would soon inform the education minister about their allegations against the VC.
"We hope he [the minister] will realise that removing the VC is the only way to solve the crisis," he added.
Meanwhile, Prof Anwar Hossain yesterday once again termed the teachers' demand baseless and illogical. He told The Daily Star that the matter was now in the hands of the chancellor and the education minister.
The ongoing teachers' movement began on April 6 this year, when JU unit Chhatra League general secretary Rajib Ahmed Rasel had physically assaulted a teacher.
The teachers then met the VC and demanded trial of the BCL leader. The VC then assured the teachers of expelling the BCL activist, but later backtracked from his stance and took no step against the student.
On April 14, the teachers started a movement under the JU Teachers Association. On April 27, the association went for work abstention with one-point demand, the VC's removal.
University insiders say the teachers started movement against the VC soon after the VC panel election on July 20 2012. "Most of the teachers did not accept Prof Anwar warmly, as he is an outsider," said a source.