'Political loyalty prioritised over merit': Jamaat protests appointment of VCs at 11 public universities

The Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami has expressed deep concern and strongly protested the government's appointment of new vice-chancellors to 11 public universities, alleging that political considerations were prioritised over merit and neutrality.

In a statement today (15 May), Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Porwar said the appointments reflected "party loyalty and political considerations" rather than "competence, neutrality and acceptability".

He warned that such appointments could seriously damage the academic environment, create divisions among teachers and disrupt students' normal academic activities.

Porwar said, "The public does not want a repeat of the instability, session jams and violence previously seen in the education sector due to political influence in universities."

The Jamaat leader alleged that a growing trend of politicisation – from local government institutions to university administrations – poses a threat to democracy, education and political culture in the country.

Govt appoints new VCs to 11 public universities

"We believe transparency, acceptability and academic qualifications should have been given the highest importance in appointing VCs. Instead, the government adopted an undemocratic and biased approach," he added.

He called on the government to reconsider the move and appoint "acceptable, neutral and qualified" individuals to the universities.

Yesterday, the government appointed new VCs to 11 public universities, including Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet), as part of an ongoing reshuffle in university leadership.