Ex-VC among 58 face arrest over recruitment scam at Sylhet Medical University

A Sylhet court has issued arrest warrants against 58 individuals, including the former vice-chancellor and acting registrar of Sylhet Medical University, over allegations of irregularities and abuse of power in staff recruitment.

Judge Rokonuzzaman of the Sylhet Metropolitan Senior Special Court issued the order on Thursday (24 April) after accepting the chargesheet submitted by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), court official Kripasindhu Das told The Business Standard.

As of Friday (25 April), Sylhet Metropolitan Police had not yet received the warrants, said Additional Deputy Commissioner (Media) Md Saiful Islam.

The ACC submitted the chargesheet on 20 April, accusing the 58 individuals of appointing and promoting unqualified candidates without following legal procedures or obtaining required institutional approvals. The case was originally filed in April last year.

Key accused include former vice-chancellor Morshed Ahmed Chowdhury, acting registrar Md Noimul Haque Chowdhury, and several senior officials.

According to the chargesheet, from 2019 to 2023, the university recruited 220 staff members on an ad hoc basis, bypassing the University Grants Commission (UGC) and syndicate approval processes. 

The university had only 112 approved positions, but currently employs 239 staff. Of these, only 98 posts are recognised by the UGC and receive government salaries through Janata Bank.

The remaining 141 appointees were hired without authorisation, resulting in an alleged misappropriation of over Tk5.55 crore in public funds.

The ACC stated that during its preliminary investigation, it found that many appointees were selected without issuing official recruitment notices.

From 2019 to 2022, former VC Morshed and acting registrar Noimul allegedly appointed candidates who did not meet age, academic, or experience requirements.

Among the appointees, 46 individuals were overage, 18 had no relevant work experience, and several had academic deficiencies. Four had third-division results, and two did not hold the required degrees.

Despite being hired on a temporary basis, some were later promoted to higher salary grades in violation of employment rules.

The 2018 University Act allows only a six-month extension for temporary appointments, but many of these were renewed multiple times, the ACC said.

The irregularities came to light following a 2023 investigation by the UGC. Based on its findings, the ACC filed a case against the accused on 1 April 2024 at its Sylhet Integrated District Office.

Other individuals named in the case include administrative staff and faculty members such as Fahima Khanam Chowdhury, Anjan Debnath, and Maidul Islam Chowdhury.

The ACC alleged that the recruitment practices not only violated laws but also amounted to a serious misuse of public funds and abuse of authority.