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Teachers wait with resignation letters

Give time till Sunday to end Buet crisis; education boss says decision after discussion with president, PM

Wasim Bin Habib ^Palasii Rahman
The Buet teachers agitating for the removal of the vice-chancellor and his deputy have threatened to resign en masse if the demand is not met by Sunday.
They issued the ultimatum at a press briefing last night, saying if the two administration bosses did not step down by 4:00pm Sunday, they would tender
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iheir resignations at 5:00pm the same day.
"We have decided to go for mass resignation if nothing happens by Sunday to meet our demand," Prof Mujibur Rahman, president of Buet Teachers Association, told The Daily Star.
The decision came hours after Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid held a meeting with Buet's "recently resigned" deans and department heads, former students and vice-chancellors al the ministry's conference room.
Most of the participants at the two-and-a-half-hour meeting said the VC and his deputy had no moral right to stay in their positions since the duo had lost the trust of a majority of their colleagues. It was not possible to solve the crisis by keeping the two in office, some teachers told The Daily Star, wishing anonymity.
The attendees told the minister that the VC was directly involved in some irregularities at the university. "Grades of two students have been changed at his [VC's] directive," one of them quoted a Buet teacher as saying.
A former vice-chancellor present at the discussion informed the minister that he would have resigned amid such a situation.
Some of the former students called for a quick decision and said further investigation into the situation was not needed.
A teacher recommended posting the duo to equivalent positions in other places.
Ex-Buel VCs Abdul Matin Patowari, MH Khan and Iqbal Mahmud, eminent citizens like Prof Jamilur Reza Chowdhury and Mir Mobassher Ali, Bangladesh Institute of Engineers President Nurul Huda and architect Rabiul Hossain attended the meeting, among others.
State Minister for Science and ICT Yeafes Osman, Chairman of University Grants Commission Prof AK
Azad Chowdhury, Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Education Ministry Rashed Khan Menon and Education Secretary Kamal Abdul Naser Chowdhury were also present.
"At the meeting all of us suggested ensuring an honourable exit of the vice-chancellor and pro-VC," Prof Jamilur Reza told The Daily Star.
The education minister said the meeting was held to know the opinions and suggestions of senior teachers and former students, not to take any decision.
He would convey the suggestions to the chancellor and the prime minister as soon as possible and seek their directives on the issue, Nahid added.
"We will take a decision after discussions with all concerned and informing the chancellor and the prime minister about the meeting."
"We heard and recorded the statements of former vice-chancellors, eminent citizens and deans and department heads of the university about what they think is necessary to resolve the crisis. They have given their opinions on different issues," the minister added. "We will try to find a peaceful and fair solution to the crisis."
He urged the agitating teachers and students to call off the movement, saying that a solution was possible through discussions.
Prof Mujibur Rahman told The Daily Star, "Since the education minister said he would convey to the prime minister and chancellor the outcome of the meeting, we are waiting for a decision."
Contacted, Buet VC Prof SM Nazrul Islam said, "The allegations the association raised against me should be investigated. And that's why I am talking about the judicial inquiry committee. For my own satisfaction, the investigation is needed as after the probe, I will come to know what irregularities I have done."
He said he would step down if the government wanted him to. "Il's nothing personal. I will accept whatever decision the government makes."
Teachers, students and staff of Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology on Wednesday started an indefinite sit-in at the administrative building to press home their 16-point demand that include the resignations of the vice-chancellor and pro-VC.
The same day, the heads of all faculties, institutes and departments of Buet announced that they were quitting their jobs. However, their resignations were yet to be accepted.
The movement, spearheaded by the teachers association, began after the university authorities shut the institution for a 44-day period in advance for Ramadan and Eid-ul-Fitr.
Yesterday, the agitators observed a token two-hour hunger strike from 11:00am on the campus.
Last night, the association leaders said they had changed their action plan. From today, they will stage two-hour sit-ins al the Buet administrative building from 11:00am every day till Sunday.
Some students of Buet last night misbehaved with newsmen when the latter requested the teachers to hold the briefing as its schedule was being changed frequently. The teachers briefed newsmen finally at 10:00pm.
Meanwhile, a section of teachers, students and employees yesterday formed a human chain in front of Buet cafeteria where they called upon the prime minister and chancellor to take steps resuming academic activities at the university.
Under the banner of Buet T e a c h e r s - S t u d e n t s -Officials-Employees Oikkya Forum, they also demanded a judicial committee probe into the allegations raised by the teachers association.