The committee formed on January 28 to investigate the alleged irregularities in recruiting nurses at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU) has not found any proof of corruption, claimed the university authorities.

The committee recommended that the university file a complaint with Bangladesh Press Council against the newspapers that ran "untrue news reports" maligning the dignity of the BSMMU and its vice chancellor.

"The probe body has found no proof of anomalies in the recruitment of200 senior staff nurses," said Prof Dr ABM Abdul Hannan, registrar of BSMMU, at a press briefing at BSMMU auditorium yesterday.

Prof Hannan, however, distributed only last two pages of the 15-page probe report to the journalists present.

Asked why they did so, he said it was

the decision of the syndicate. "But, we will give it to you... at the soonest possible time."

The syndicate, the highest decisionmaking body of the university, had formed a seven-member committee, headed by syndicate member Rustom Ali Farazi, MP, to investigate the allegation.

There were allegations that 76 applicants from Tangail scored more than 80 in written test and 23 of them were from Chatail - the home upazila of VC Prof Kamrul Hassan Khan. Some of them were on the final list.

Tension was high at the BSMMU since January 19 after the VC allegedly assaulted Pro-VC (Academic) Prof ASM Zakaria Swapan for divulging the corruption allegations to a newspaper.

The VC always denied the allegation of assault.

Prof Abdul Hannan, also secretary of the probe committee, said the probe body also could not find any evidence that proves the VC had assaulted the pro-VC.

The committee observed that as the BSMMU had been facing an acute shortage of nurses, it was appropriate for it to recruit

the 200 nurses, the registrar said.

He said the committee has recommended that the university strictly regulate the activities that slander the reputation of the university and its VC.

Contacted, Pro-VC Zakaria said he has rejected the probe report at Saturday's syndicate meeting and gave a written objection saying that the probe committee has favoured the VC and it justified the corruption.

He said the recommendations made in the report were nothing but a farce.

"The VC was solely responsible for hampering the congenial atmosphere at BSMMU and the state should take action against him," he said.

Although being a syndicate member, he was not given a copy of the report, he said stating that legal action would be taken against the VC in a day or two.

About the recommendations of filing lawsuits against the media, he said there was no such provision in the rules that bars anyone else but the VC or his nominated person to disclose information to the media.