Meanwhile, protesting the recent "political appointment" of an assistant professor to the Department of Public Administration, the department Chairman Prof Mahabubur Rahman resigned from the chairmanship and also from the post of provost of Kabi Jashim Uddin Hall.

The appointment of an assistant professor was made on political considerations, Prof Mahabub said, adding, "The appointment was totally unethical and for this I resigned from the post of department chairman."

The DU Vice-Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz, however, has not accepted the resignation and requested Prof Mahabub to carry on his duty in both the posts, sources said.

A selection committee headed by the DU Pro-Vice Chancellor Prof AFM Yusuf Haider and four other BNP-Jamaat backed White Panel teachers selected the candidates of Islamic Studies department on Saturday and Sunday.

The Syndicate, the highest decision making body of the university will sit on October 8 to approve the selection, source said.

Dropping Zahidul Islam who secured both first classes first in the BA and MA examinations, the authorities recruited Mohammad Habibullah, an Islami Chhatra Shibir leader who secured first class second in the BA and first class third in the MA examination and Mustaba Reza, who secured first class fourth in BA and first class second in MA.

Reza is a relative of a late professor of the department.

The authorities also dropped Mohammad Shah Alam who secured first class second positions both in the BA and MA examinations.

Zahid, whose younger brother was an activist of Bangladesh Chhatra League of Jahurul Haque Hall unit of the university, was not recruited as he has Awami League family background, sources said.

Zahid told The Daily Star that among all the candidates who sat for the viva voce he was the only person who secured first class first positions in both BA and MA.

He might go for legal action against the recruitment, he added.

The authorities advertised for the posts of three lecturers in June last year. Another post became vacant after a lecturer was promoted as assistant professor.

But the authorities did not recruit lecturers then, as they wanted to recruit a ICS leader who passed the MA examination recently, sources said.

The DU authorities again advertised for four lecturers in July this year. But they recruited five lecturers, including one not advertised for. However, such additional recruitment is not inconsistent with existing rules, sources said.

Declining to make any comment on the qualification of the candidates, selection committee Chairman Prof Haider said, "We will sit tomorrow [Wednesday] in this regard."

Meanwhile, DU Teachers' Association General Secretary Prof Mohammd Aktheruzzaman along with some of the Islamic Studies department teachers urged the Vice-Chancellor to recruit lecturers to the department on merit basis.

In the face of widespread criticism from the university teachers, the committee may review the selections, sources said.