The Chittagong University (CU) authorities 'under duress of Jamaat-e-Islami's student wing' are allegedly interfering with the master's results at the communication and journalism department.

Teachers of the Department of Communication and Journalism had alleged that leaders of Islami Chhatra Shibir (ICS), the student wing of ruling coalition partner Jamaat-e-Islami, are putting pressure on the CU authorities to reassess the examination sheets of Abul Kalam Azad only to move him to the first position.

Meanwhile, the passage of the results in the CU Syndicate is getting delayed, as the Vice Chancellor

of the CU has ordered re-evaluation of Azad's examination papers, said a teacher of the communication and journalism department yesterday.

Azad, allegedly an activist of ICS, sat the Master of Arts (MA) final examinations in 2004 and secured the second class fourth position. The results of MA were published on September 23,2004.

But not content with the grades obtained, Azad petitioned the CU VC Professor AZM Nuruddin Chowdhury on September 26, 2004 for re-evaluation of his examination sheets. Shortly after the petition documents had reached the VC office, the VC sent a note to the CU controller of examinations to take steps to that end. On September 28 and October 2, 2004, the controller of examinations in letters asked the Chairman of MA-2000 examination committee Abdur Razzak Khan to deposit all the examination sheets of MA-2002 in controller's office.

But the academic and examination committees of the journalism department refused to comply with what they said was an unjust demand.

"This letter goes against the university ordinance that says examination sheets would be under control of the examination committee chairman for up to three months after publication of the results," Abdur Razzak Khan told The Daily Star yesterday.

Referring to Azad's allegation of irregularities in evaluation of his exam papers, he said,"The examination committee conducted the examinations strictly under the rules and regulation of the university ordinance. So there is no chance at all for any irregularity to take place."

Another member of the committee said an examination sheet should go to the third examiner only when the difference between marks given by the first and second examiner is 15 percent.

"No exam paper of Azad was sent to the third examiner as the difference in marks given by the first and the second examiner was insignificant," said the committee member requesting anonymity.

The CU administration is allegedly pressing the department also in different other ways.

"The VC has stalled disbursement of a teaching aid fund to the journalism department," a teacher of the department seeking anonymity yesterday said.

Meanwhile, at a meeting on January 15,2005, the Chittagong University Teachers Association requested the CU administration to take necessary steps to pass the MA-2000 results in the CU Syndicate.

When contacted, the CU VC yesterday denied all the allegations brought by the teachers of journalism department.

He said, "I asked them (examination committee of journalism department) to deposit all the examination

papers of MA-2000 but they did not do so."

Regarding reassessment of Azad's examination papers, the VC said, "We are looking into the matter and trying to figure out what to do."

Refuting the allegation of halting teaching aid fund to the journalism department, he said that the CU authorities had disbursed the fund timely.

The VC, on the one hand, claimed that the MA-2002 results of the journalism department were passed in the Syndicate but on the other, he said the university authorities would consider Azad's petition.