A national daily on Thursday reported that people from all walks of life in Rangpur formed a human chain on Wednesday demanding life-support to Begum Rokeya University which now remains paralyzed in internal unrest. Establishment in 2008, the university was named after Begum Rokeya who had pioneered the cause of female education in this part of the sub-continent in undivided India. Demand of a public university in Bangladesh’s Northeastern region was for years in the hanging But since its establishment, the university has gained notoriety due to violent teachers’ and student politics, recruiting poor quality teachers through bribes, such other problems and nepotism. The varsity administration has also come under fierce attacks for recruitment of staff with fake certificates, political interference in academic activities and VC’s favoritism and corruption. Local people now fear that the blossoming ‘light-house’ is going to shrink in the darkness if it is not saved right now.
The local people have demanded holding the admission tests for 2014-15 session immediately, bringing congenial atmosphere back for education, filling the vacant posts immediately, commissioning student’s hostels and cafeteria, and clearing payments of all outstanding dues to adhoc appointees immediately. The academic and administrative activities of the university have come to a halt due to some reasons in recent years. The most critical challenge that the university is facing is from not arranging the admission tests for students who passed out last year although all other public universities have already done it and their academic sessions are rolling.
Some teachers, officials and students launched a movement two months ago boycotting classes and examinations demanding resignation of the vice chancellor. Some officials and employees are not getting salary for months as their jobs have not been regularised in absence of allocated fund in the university budget. They are also fuelling unrest for payment of stuck up salary. In November last year 16 teachers resigned from their administrative posts for being “deprived” of overdue promotion and related benefits. Moreover, some important posts, such as pro-vice-chancellor, treasurer, register and controller of examination have remained vacant for a long time.
Locals expected that the university would resolve all troubles immediately and reopen its academic activities. But it is a pity that after six years of its founding the university is far from meeting the expectations it was set up to meet. It lacks facilities, like, residential halls, medicare, teacher-students’ centre, students’ clubs, transportation, playground, and many such opportunities which are common to any public university.
We know that the university has become a den of partisan politics in which the Vice Chancellor has appointed many staff and teachers without the fund allocation and it makes big problem to clear their dues. The administration is using funds which were earmarked for other purposes to pay the unauthorized staff. It has thus created the mess. We urge the varsity to clear the mess and if the resignation of the VC will pave the way of solving the problem, he must do it in greater interest of the nation.
The local people have demanded holding the admission tests for 2014-15 session immediately, bringing congenial atmosphere back for education, filling the vacant posts immediately, commissioning student’s hostels and cafeteria, and clearing payments of all outstanding dues to adhoc appointees immediately. The academic and administrative activities of the university have come to a halt due to some reasons in recent years. The most critical challenge that the university is facing is from not arranging the admission tests for students who passed out last year although all other public universities have already done it and their academic sessions are rolling.
Some teachers, officials and students launched a movement two months ago boycotting classes and examinations demanding resignation of the vice chancellor. Some officials and employees are not getting salary for months as their jobs have not been regularised in absence of allocated fund in the university budget. They are also fuelling unrest for payment of stuck up salary. In November last year 16 teachers resigned from their administrative posts for being “deprived” of overdue promotion and related benefits. Moreover, some important posts, such as pro-vice-chancellor, treasurer, register and controller of examination have remained vacant for a long time.
Locals expected that the university would resolve all troubles immediately and reopen its academic activities. But it is a pity that after six years of its founding the university is far from meeting the expectations it was set up to meet. It lacks facilities, like, residential halls, medicare, teacher-students’ centre, students’ clubs, transportation, playground, and many such opportunities which are common to any public university.
We know that the university has become a den of partisan politics in which the Vice Chancellor has appointed many staff and teachers without the fund allocation and it makes big problem to clear their dues. The administration is using funds which were earmarked for other purposes to pay the unauthorized staff. It has thus created the mess. We urge the varsity to clear the mess and if the resignation of the VC will pave the way of solving the problem, he must do it in greater interest of the nation.
