RU takes steps to reform controversial teacher recruitment policy

The Rajshahi University authorities have finally taken necessary steps to change the university's questionable teacher recruitment policy-2017 and formulate the new recruitment policy.

Regarding this, the university has already formed a 10-member committee, said RU Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Md Sultan-Ul-Islam today.

Islam was made chairman in the committee while RU Registrar Prof Abdus Salam was made member secretary.

Talking to RU correspondent, the pro VC said the committee will start their work from next week and the members will place their own recommendation for reforming the recruitment policy-2017.

"Besides, as we have guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and Rajshahi University Teacher Recruitment Policy-2015, we hope we will be able to formulate a recruitment policy very soon through a combination of those," he said.

The upcoming recruitment of teachers will be conducted following the new policy, the pro VC added.

The 10-member committee was formed following the decision of 507th syndicate meeting of the university on October 20.

Other committee members are RU Pro VC Professor Choudhury M Zakaria, Prof Abdullah Al Mamun of English Department, Prof Golam Kabir of Botany Department, Prof Dr M Shahidullah of English, Prof Md Sayaduzzaman of Accounting and Information Systems, Prof Dr Md Zahangir Alam Saud of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department, Prof Dr Abu Naser Md Wahid of Law Department, and Prof Dr Md Mashihur Rahman of Mass Communication and Journalism Department.

Earlier, in 2015 the then university authorities formulated the Rajshahi University Teacher Recruitment Policy-2015. According to the policy-2015, only those students, who were in merit position from 1st to 7th with the minimum CGPA 3.5 in their undergraduate and postgraduate exams, were eligible to apply for the post of a teacher.

In 2017, the then VC Prof M Abdus Sobhan relaxed the university's recruitment policy-2015 on purpose and formulated the recruitment policy-2017 where the issue of qualification with having merit position from 1st to 7th was cancelled.

The UGC probe committee found that Sobhan and other RU officials relaxed the university's recruitment policy on purpose and appointed the VC's daughter and son-in-law as teachers. Besides, some 34 under-qualified candidates were also recruited as teachers.

The government in a separate order on December 10 last year postponed all kinds of appointments to RU until further notice.