Recruitment anomalies in Chittagong University
01 January 2023
Yet another news headline regarding the University of Chittagong (CU) has concerned the readers as it revealed anomalies in recruiting teachers and other staff at the university. A national Bengali daily on Saturday reported that the CU syndicate, the apex policy-making body of the university, had given legitimacy to the appointment of teachers and staff out of advertised posts. It is like granting immunity earlier before committing the irregularities. It is no doubt a gross violation of the university ordinances, and such a decision will allow irregularities in recruitment. As per the report, the decision was taken at the 539th Syndicate meeting of the university on October 14 and the authority prepared the minutes of the decision on December 23. Then the decision to recruit outside the advertised posts came into notice.
Complaints against the present administration of the University for appointing teachers and staff without notification is not new. The administration wanted to appoint 13 teachers in the university out of advertised posts from February to March this year. But in the 537th syndicate meeting on March 5, the members refused to appoint those 13 teachers. Earlier, in June last year, 12 part-time teachers were appointed to the University-run Laboratory School and College without notification. Besides, 15 people were appointed as officers and employees. These appointments were made on the recommendation of the university high-ups, leaders of the Chhatra League and some teachers.
Earlier in February this year, five phone conversations were leaked regarding financial transactions to appoint teachers in the Persian language and literature department of the university and officials in various departments. Regarding this, when complaints were made against Vice-Chancellor Shireen Akhtar's personal assistant Khaled Michbahul and Accounts Comptroller's Office employee Ahmad Hossain, Khaled was hastily removed from the post of personal assistant and Ahmed Hossain was suspended. Surprisingly, no case is yet to file against the duo despite the recommendation of a probe body formed to investigate the matter. There were also allegations of the appointment of 134 officers and employees in an 'untransparent' process from 2011 to till date.
With utter apprehension, we lost the language to condemn the irregularities done in the sacred place of higher education getting blessings of power politics. No one is there to oversee the corruption committed in the whole academia of the country, though we have the education ministry, University Grant Commission, and Anti-corruption Commission. When the perpetrators know that mercy is easy to achieve as activists of the ruling party, newspaper headlines can produce nothing without making some ineffective words.
