IU deadlock: No light yet at the end of tunnel

Though the university and dormitories reopened on June 11, classes and examinations are not held regularly as there is no one at the helm of affairs, campus sources said.

The Chancellor of the university, Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, in a letter on Monday last asked Treasurer Prof. Anwarul Karim to carry out 'administrative responsibilities' in addition to his duties.

The Treasurer is carrying out only routine work. He could not hold any meeting of the Academic Council and the Syndicate as most of deans and senior teachers objected to his authority to call such meetings as he was not appointed acting vice-chancellor, the sources said.

The Treasurer called a meeting of deans, chairmen of departments and senior teachers on Thursday, but a few of them turned up.

At the meeting, Registrar of the university Dr. Moslem Uddin, tried to explain that the Treasurer could discharge responsibilities of an acting VC as per law, but this was questioned by others.

Treasurer Prof. Anwarul Karim left Kushtia for Dhaka yesterday to meet higher authorities there, the sources said

Prof Rafiqul Islam was appointed VC on April 3, 2004.

The sources claimed that, since holding office, VC Prof Rafiqul Islam was under pressure from BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami in and outside the campus to recruit their men in different posts.

In the first step, the VC on March 27, 2004 recruited 104 people against 62 vacant posts. They included 54 teachers, 22 officials and 28 third and forth class employees. The recruitment violated guidelines of the University Grants Commission (UGC), the sources claimed.

Most of the appointees were leaders and activists of JCD and Islami Chhatra Shibir, some facing criminal cases, campus sources said.

The recruitment sparked protests on the campus by others aligned with opposition political parties as rules were allegedly violated. On May 18, this year, another 88 people including six teachers were recruited against 53 vacant posts, which also violated UGC guidelines.

Though the second 'mass recruitment' evoked large scale protests from different quarters in and outside the campus, it could not satisfy BNP and Jamaat as they had demanded at least 200 job for party men.

Sensing agitation plan by JCD, the VC left the campus on May 19.

As the VC left without fulfilling their demands, JCD men started rampaging the campus on the following day, which continued for two days.

On May 22, they attacked houses of some university officials and Syndicate members, damaged 22 transports, torched two private cars and declared the VC 'unwanted' on the campus.

The JCD activists were allegedly instigated by some Kushtia BNP leaders including a lawmaker, the sources claimed.

The authorities declared the university closed on May 25.

The VC submitted resignation letter on July 20 and it was accepted by the Chancellor on June 23. Prof Rafiqul Islam was 8 th VC of university.