The High Court yesterday issued a rule asking the authorities concerned to explain why the reappointment of Professor Farzana Islam as vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University will not be declared illegal.

Secretary of education ministry’s secondary and higher secondary directorate, Jahangirnagar University vice-chancellor and pro-vice-chancellor and deputy secretary of secondary and higher secondary education department were asked to respond to the rule within one week.

The bench of Justice Syed Refaat Ahmed and Justice Md Salim came up with the rule after hearing a writ

petition jointly filed by JU former VC Sharif Enamul Kabir and its Drama department teacher Professor Lutfar Rahman.

They filed the petition challenging the legality of reappointment of Farzana Islam as VC of the university.

In the petition they said, according to the JU act-1973, a three-member VC panel had to be nominated through the votes of its senate members for appointing its VC. But the education ministry appointed her on February 18 without nominating any VC panel. Therefore her appointment is illegal.

Farzana had become the first woman to hold the top post in a public university when she was appointed by the government as the 18th JU VC on March 2, 2014.

Earlier on February 18, Farzana Islam was reappointed as vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University for second term before completion of her tenure.

Dr Shahdeen Malik appeared on behalf of the petitioners during the hearing on the petition.