RU recruits teacher violating rules

Departmental Planning Committee member Dr Abul Hasan Chowdhury recently lodged a complaint with the university registrar demanding cancellation of the recruitment.

He said Prof Saifuddin Chowdhury was appointed chairman of the Folklore Department on December 02, 2004. The appointment followed a meeting of the planning committee in mid-December the same year which okayed vacancy of the post and circulated a notice in this regard.

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Later, a planning committee meeting, attended by only two of its members, was held in the department on March 28 this year. It approved Prof Saifuddin's appointment as professor. But according to rules, at least three planning committee members must attend the meeting to approve the procedure.

Dr Chowdhury further alleged that the selection committee of the university administration created another post of professor in the same department without holding any meeting of the planning committee and without issuing any notice.

The selection committee, violating the university rules, okayed appointment of Prof Shahidur Rahman, a teacher at Islamic University (IU) Bangla Department to the post of a professor in Folklore Department, he alleged.

Terming the procedure a violation of the university rules, he demanded its cancellation.

However, vice-chancellor (VC) Prof Altaf Hossain said that the university recruitment committee approved the cases of the two professors.

'The whole thing will be finalised after the next Syndicate meeting,' he said.

He also brushed aside allegation of violating any university rules.

When contacted, Prof Saifuddin Chowdhury admitted that only two members attended the planning committee meeting. 'There is nothing wrong in it,' he said.

He also admitted that a new post of professor was created in Folklore Department without holding any meeting of the planning committee and without issuing any notice.

'The university authorities can recruit anybody if they decide, he remarked.