The authorities of Jahangirnagar University (JU) yesterday (Saturday) clarified the controversy that has arisen over the appointments of two deans in the Social Sciences and Law and Justice Faculties through a press release. Dismissing the demand for cancellation of the appointments that was raised at a press conference on Thursday by a faction of a teachers’ organisation backed by the ruling party under the banner of ‘Bangabandhur Adarsha O Muktijuddher Chetonay Biswashi Progotishil Shikkhok Shomaj’, the authorities said the information provided at the press conference was “not true”. Through the press release, the authorities said, “According to the University Act, 1973, the chancellor of the university, Abdul Hamid, appointed Dean of Social Science Faculty Professor Md Amir Hussain and Dean of Law and Justice Faculty Professor Sheikh Md Monzurul Huq as Pro-VC and Treasurer respectively on July 9 last year.

As they attended their respective workplaces, they were in deputation from their faculty posts.” “According to university rules, no teacher of the university can act in other charges during deputation. But the two teachers continued their duties on the request of Vice-Chancellor Professor Farzana Islam. She thanked them and expressed deep gratitude in this regard,” the release added.

Mentioning that a similar incident occurred during the tenure of former VC Prof. Anwar Hossain, the release said, “The chancellor of the university appointed Professor Abul Khair as Treasurer of the university in 2013, while he was Dean of the Biology Faculty. He also continued his duties for some months before the current Dean, Professor Abdul Zabbar Hawlader’s, appointment.”  

“However, the demand of the teachers’ group is totally illegal while the university authority follows common rules to appoint the deans,” it said.

The university authorities urged the teachers’ community to show respect to the conventional rules and cooperate logically with the authorities. Earlier, terming the appointments illegal and a violation of university Acts, through a press conference on Thursday, the teachers’ group gave a 24-hour ultimatum to cancel the deans’ appointments. Following their demand, JU vice-chancellor Prof. Farzana Islam told The Independent that the university authorities made the appointments in accordance with the conventional rules. The Independent published a news report titled ‘Controversy over JU dean’s appointment’ on Friday. The university authorities officially explained their stand after noticing the news item.