A planning committee (PC) member of the Folklore department of Rajshahi University (RU) was assaulted by section officers and local BNP leaders yesterday for rejecting the application of their party man for the post of a teacher in the department.

Witnesses said Prof Mobaroba Siddiqua was assaulted by Zakirul Islam, section officer and Motiher thana BNP leader, and Rokonuzzman Mamun, section officer and former JCD jointconvenor, at around 2:00pm when the academic committee meeting was going on with department chairman Prof Saifuzzman in the chair.

They entered the chairman office without permission and threatened Prof Siddiqua for rejecting the application of their candidate Biswa Nath Kundo alias Peter during the primary scrutiny of the applications.

Sources said the application of

Biswa was rejected as he has no adequate folklore background in his academic career.

Meanwhile, the process of recruiting seven teachers for the Department of Islamic History and Culture is likely to begin today amid strong protest of the PC members.

Five of the seven-member committee on November 30 last opposed the recruitment saying the department has already 22 teachers.

They also alleged wide-scale nepotism and said the unnecessary recruitment would be made on political consideration.

Progressive Teachers' Association met with VC Prof Altaf Hossain and submitted a memorandum protesting the recruitment of additional teachers.

Bangladesh Chhatra League and Progressive Students Alliance also took out separate procession and held rally on the campus protesting the recruitment of additional teachers under political consideration.