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JU caught in a VC-ious web

Rashidul Hasan and Naimus Shakib Rafsan
Since his "politically blessed" appointment as the vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University, Prof Shariff Enamul Kabir earned widespread criticism for not only alleged anomalies in teachers' recruitment but also for his "eco-unfriendly" activities.
Apart from chopping down trees indiscriminately on campus, teachers and students allege the VC in the last three years also leased out the university lakes at the cost of migratory birds, which didn' t arrive for the first time last year.
"And that is not the end. Besides his naked patronage ofasectionof Bangladesh Chhatra League activists to put pressure on his dissidents, the VC leased out a vast area of university land to grow turmeric damaging biodiversity," Prof Rayhan Rhyne of philosophy toldThe Daily Star.
The VC, however, rejected outright all the allegations
saying he has "done everything according to the university ordinance and as per the decision of the university syndicate”.
TEACHERS' APPOINTMENT
In the last three years, the present administration appointed 196 teachers, many of whom were allegedly selected on partisan and nepotism basis, a large section of teachers claim.
"Around 340 teachers were appointed since the university was established 41 years ago. And the incumbent VC has
appointed 196 ofthem, manyofwhomare comparatively less qualified," Prof Rayhan added.
Insiders say that thanks to unnecessary appointment, several teachers have no courses in their respective departments to teach.
"And one of the main reasons for mass recruitment was to ensure their victory in the teachers' association election by appointing candidates loyal to the VC," commented Prof Nasim Akhtar Hossain of government and politics department.
It was even seen that immediately after joining, some teachers rushed to cast their votes in the teacher's association election to ensure victory of the panel loyal to the VC.
Just before the election to JU Teachers' Association, 74 teachers were appointed en masse on two occasions — November 12 and December 251astyear.
"The VC even appointed an all-second-class results holder instead of all-first-class holders in my department," Prof Rayhan said, adding that such recruitment sparked protests in the teachers' community.
Citing another example of anomalies, he said a circular was issued for filling two posts in the philosophy department in December 2011. But the authorities appointed three more teachers without any circular.
"Of the five, three candidates did not have first class in honours, while the rest have no first class either in honoursorin master's," Prof Rayhan added.
Eight teachers were appointed in Bangla department and nine in History department, many of them without first class in honours.
Even a candidate, who had graduated from folklore department at Rajshahi University, was appointed in Bangla, another teacher said.
President of JUTA Prof AA Mamun said Khandaker Sharmin Asrafi, who obtained CGP 4 out of 4 both in her BSc and MSc and who got an offer to join a university in the USA, was not even called for the viva. Another candidate was appointed although advertisement was
issued for recruitment of two lecturers.
"To ensure supremacy in his own department, the VC appointed 11 teachers in chemistry although there was no shortage of teachers," Prof Mamun said.
He added, of the 11, only a few teachers have good academic background.
Several teachers also pointed anomalies in appointment to pharmacy, botany, biochemistry, and zoology departments where partisan candidates were recruited and meritorious students were ignored.
The teachers' association says that they had to resort to movement for the VC's resignation finding no other alternatives as he did not pay heed to their request to stop appointing "bad elements" as teachers.
The teachers and students started a one-point movement following appointment of an assistant professor in mathematics on March 10.
Earlier, teachers and students started joint movement against the VC following the killing of Zubair, a fourth-year student of English, who was severely beaten by Chhatra League activists loyal to the VC in January.
ECO-UNFRIENDLYVC
Prof Jamal Uddin ofenviron-mental science said, "Biodiversity in Jahangirnagar University is considered a unique feature in our country. But the VC's controversial activities pose a serious threat to it. We have already lost some rare species of trees, especially some medicinal plants."
He also said butterflies, foxes and some birds have left Jahangirnagar as their habitats have been destroyed due to indiscriminate felling of trees.
"Presumably the destruction of lily, lotus and water hyacinth, aqua foods and insects in the water bodies
triggered the situation."
Thousands of migratory birds of about 20 species come to the campus lakes every year, while this year only 30-40 birds of eight to nine species arrived, said birdwatchers.
On felling trees, Prof Rayhan said, "There is still clear evidence of the felling of over 80 trees by the road from Dairy Farm Gate to Shaheed Minar on campus."
"Intriguingly, the authorities cut the trees mostly during vacation time so that students and teachers cannot raise their voice against it," he added.
Student Arafat Rahman said as many as 100 trees were chopped down on the pretext that the highway in front of the university does not overlook the Shaheed Minar.
Registrar Abu Bakar Siddique, however, brushed aside the allegations against the university administration. "No steps were taken that could create problems for the birds," he claimed. ADMISSIONANOMALIES The authorities allowed admission of 78 ward-quota-admission seekers who had failed to get even pass marks in the intake tests in 2011 -12 session.
These students were allegedly close to the authorities including the registrar, faculty deans, teachers and also children of employees' union office bearers. Most of these students were enrolled in the most sought-after disciplines.
As many as 126 students of ward-quota-admission seekers sat for the admission tests and only 25 managed to obtain pass marks, 35 out of 100, while it is 40 for the general students.
AGITATION REACHES
PEAK
The month-long demonstrations of teachers and students against the VC peaked in the wake of an attack by the VC-backed
Chhatra League cadres on the cultural activists and the arrest of two teachers of botany on April 28.
The teachers and students started joint movement against the VC and also went on a fast-unto death strike on May 1 demanding the VC's resignation.
The Chhatra League activists loyal to the VC beat up the cultural activists leaving seven of them injured including the president and vice-president of JU Cultural Jote.
The arrested teachers, who were released later, alleged that police detained and misbehaved with them at the diktat of the VC.