1,000 teachers appointed on political considerations: AL

In most cases, political consideration, not the merit, was used as a yardstick during the appointment of teachers, they said.

Also, the alliance government allowed establishment of 38 new private universities so far, flouting all kinds of rules and regulations, the leaders said at a press conference organised by the AL sub-committee on education and human resource development at the party's Dhanmondi office in the city.

They said most public universities, including National University, Rajshahi University, Chittagong University, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University, Bangladesh Agriculture University and Islamic University, have turned into dens of terrorists due to politicisation of appointment of teachers and officers and dominance of Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, student wing of BNP, and Islami Chhatra Shibir, student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami, over dormitories.

One of the agitating students was killed in police firing in Sylhet recently when they were demonstrating against irregularities and corruption at Shahjalal University of Science & Technology, said Nurul Islam Nahid, education affairs secretary of AL.

A few days ago, the syndicate of Islamic University appointed 88 BNP- and Jamaat-backed candidates against 53 vacant posts, he said, adding that the vice-chancellor had to stay away from the campus following violent demonstrations over the issue of recruitment.

Former president of Dhaka University Teachers' Association Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique said the alliance government has recently appointed two members of the University Grants Commission, who were involved in the controversial recruitment of 545 people at Rajshahi University.

Former vice-chancellor of Dhaka University AK Azad Chowdhury, AL Joint Secretary Obaidul Kader and Abdul Mannan were also present at the press conference.