Appointment committee's meet postponed again

The teachers laid a siege to the Registrar's office for an hour yesterday morning and held a rally there to press removal of VC Prof Musleh Uddin Ahmed and protest his bid for fresh recruitment of teaches, allegedly aimed at 'strengthening his group'. The rally was presided over by

Dr. Akhtarul Islam.

In the face of protests, the authorities suspended yesterday's meeting of the appointment and promotion committee.

An official notice issued during the teachers' siege programme said the meeting was suspended due to 'unavoidable reasons'.

The postponement was announced at the striking teachers' rally by Proctor Sajedul Karim.

Meanwhile, Prof Reza E Khondaker, a member of the appointment committee, resigned yesterday. He sent his resignation letter to the Registrar.

On the other hand, the SUST authorities' bid to resume university transport service from the city to the campus was foiled by opposition-aligned student parties.

The authorities, after a meeting with BNP-Jamaat backed teachers on Monday, decided to resume the transport service from yesterday. But vehicles did not ply as opposition backed Students' Action Committee threatened to resist the move at any cost.

Transport Administrator Prof Habibul Ahsan said, the service could not be resumed due to lack of security.

Earlier on July 23, the SUST authorities were compelled to suspend a scheduled meeting of the appointment and promotion committee as the pro-opposition teachers besieged the Registrar's office protesting fresh recruitment of teachers.

The pro-opposition teaches began an indefinite work abstention pogramme on August 23 demanding the VC's removal after some activist of Islami Chhatra Shibir allegedly misbehaved with some senior teaches earlier on the day. Since then, the teachers are also wearing black badges.

The ruling alliance-backed teachers also took out a procession

on the campus yesterday demanding immediate resumption of classes and restoration of normalcy on the campus.

The Students' Action Committee agitating for VC's withdrawal took out a procession from the city's Madina market area towards the campus. It was intercepted by police near the BDR gate on the Sylhet-Sunamganj road, about half a kilometer off the varsity gate.

They held a rally there with Sylhet city BCL Joint Convener Habibur Rahman Selim in the chair. Speakers at the rally said their agitation would

continue till withdrawal of the VC.