Nepotism, no transparency in recruitment: 30 teachers of Khulna Agricultural University resign

Thirty teachers of Khulna Agricultural University (KAU) have resigned following days of work abstention after their demands centering the immediate solutions to issues stemming from the appointment of 73 teachers of the university were not met.

Twenty-three department heads and three IQAC Cell heads are among those who resigned.

They informed the teachers' association about their resignation last Tuesday and submitted their resignations to the university registrar today (6 December). 

Khandkar Mazharul Anwar, registrar of KAU, said, "Resignation letters were brought from the teachers' association. Due to the trouble of receiving so many resignation letters, those have been asked to be sent through a forwarding letter."

The teachers started a strike by stopping the classes and examinations from Tuesday morning after the university administration did not comply with the directives issued by the education ministry, which included the cancellation of a number of appointments.

Earlier on 3 August 2022, the Ministry of Education ordered KAU to cancel the appointment of 73 teachers of the university. The directive was issued following an investigation by the University Grants Commission (UGC). 

Later, the list of the teachers was re-evaluated by a special committee.

In the latest instruction from the ministry, the previous directive to cancel the appointment of 73 teachers was suspended in the case of all except the daughter of former vice-chancellor Professor Md Shahidur Rahman Khan.

The teachers alleged that the university did not fully comply with the instruction, resulting in the promotion of 38 teachers being blocked.

Talking to KAU officials, it was informed that the university syndicate discussed the ministry's directives on their 14th meeting on 18 November, but as some whose jobs were cancelled had filed a case with the High Court, not all the decisions could be implemented. 

Vice-Chancellor Professor Abul Kashem Chowdhury of KAU said the university's rule is that all decisions must be approved in the syndicate meeting. 

Syndicate members did not give any decision on job cancellation as there was a case. 

A university source says the resignations were stoked by the investigation into the demotion of a lecture, who apparently convinced everyone to resign.

As the first vice chancellor of Khulna Agricultural University, Professor Md Shahidur Rahman Khan joined the university in September 2018. 

His tenure was marked by the recruitment of 426 people, which included his sons, daughters, brothers-in-law and nephews. 

On November 24, 2020, five members of the syndicate filed a complaint with the Ministry of Education after seeing irregularities in the recruitment. 

In the letter, they wrote, "Lack of transparency and nepotism have been seen since the beginning of Khulna Agricultural University's recruitment. It is necessary to properly investigate the matter and take measures to protect the new university from incompetent manpower and nepotism."

In November 2020, the university was sanctioned by an inquiry committee on the instructions of the Ministry of Education due repeated allegations of irregularities in the recruitment process.

Last June, the teachers appealed to the education minister to reconsider the appointment. 

Following the application, the education ministry formed another investigation committee.