Staff Reporter :
The High Court (HC) on Tuesday declared the three-member panel elected by the Senate on July 29 for appointing its new Vice-Chancellor as illegal.
The HC declared also the notice issued by Dhaka university authorities for holding its Senate’s special general meeting on July 29 to elect a three-member panel for appointing its new Vice-Chancellor as illegal while delivering verdict on a writ petition.
At the same time, the HC directed the DU authorities to complete the process for a full-fledged Senate in six months to form the panel for appointing its Vice-Chancellor.
The bench of Justice Zinat Ara and Justice Kazi Md Ejarul Haque Akondo delivered the verdict after holding a final hearing on a writ petition filed challenging the legality of the notice issued by the DU Registrar on July 16 convening the special general meeting of the Senate on July 29.
Petitioners’ lawyer Barrister Mustafizur Rahman Khan told the journalists that Professor Md Akhtaruzzaman, who has been appointed Acting Vice-Chancellor of DU by the President-the Chancellor of the university, can discharge his duties until a new Vice-Chancellor is appointed by the President after formation of a panel by the senate.
The HC verdict will not hinder Prof Akhtaruzzaman to discharge his duties, he said, adding that Prof Akhtaruzzaman will execute the HC directives.
Barrister Mustafizur said, the HC has delivered the verdict on the ground, there is no representative from around 40,000 registered graduates of the DU in its Senate although 25 representatives from the registered graduates along with others are supposed to remain there as per Article 20(1) of Dhaka University Order 1973.
Sixteen teachers and registered graduates of DU filed the writ petition with the HC in July saying there was no full-fledged Senate for DU at that moment though the 105-member full-fledged Senate had to be formed through nomination and election.
As per the Dhaka University Order 1973, the VC shall be appointed by the Chancellor for a period of four years from a panel of three teachers. He shall be nominated by the University Senate, and be eligible for a re-appointment for a second term.
