RU set to appoint 48 teachers on 'political considerations'
RU Correspondent
The Rajshahi University authorities have completed the process for recruitment of 48 teachers, allegedly on political considerations. The appointments will be approved at a Syndicate meeting tomorrow, sources in the departments said. The fresh appointments are being made at a time when the fate of 546 staff 'controversially' appointed earlier hangs in the balance. The controversially appointed employees held demonstrations on the campus several times for regularisation of their services. On January 21, they vandalised offices of the Vice Chancellor and the pro-VC and attacked some teachers to press their demand. They also threatened tougher agitation if the authorities go for fresh appointments before confirmation of their jobs. The sources said, RU authorities called a meeting of the Syndicate on February 2 for approval of recruitment of the 48 teachers. Meetings of selection committees of several departments for the recruitment have already begun and will continue till February 2. Most of the 48 teachers to be appointed are either supporters of ruling BNP or Jamaat-e-Islami or relatives of political leaders or senior teachers, the sources claimed. The appointments are being made under growing political, the sources said. But Vice Chancellor Prof Altaf Hossain refuted the allegation. The fresh appointments are being made as per needs of different departments, he told this correspondent when contacted yesterday. The teachers to be recruited are six for Mass Communication department, three for Zoology, five for Sociology and Political Science, nine for Islamic History and Culture, three for Information and Communications Technology, five for Social Work, four for Public Administration, five for Arabic, four for Folklore and seven for Fine Arts department. In certain departments, the number of appointees to be recruited would be more than the number advertised for, the sources claimed. They claimed that five teachers are being recruited in the Sociology department against advertisement for two teachers. Talking to this correspondent, a pro-Awami League member of the RU Syndicate alleged that most of the appointments are being made on political considerations.
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