Four VCs on draft list of AL subcommittee

Four vice-chancellors and 11 teachers of public universities were included in a draft list of the ruling Awami League's sub-committee on education and human resources.

Shamsunnahar Chapa, education and human resource affairs secretary of AL, on Monday signed the draft list of 49 people that also included party lawmakers and leaders.

Sources in AL said the list would be finalised after discussions within the party.

According to the party constitution, a sub-committee should be formed for every secretarial department in order to make its activities more dynamic. The AL has 19 secretarial departments.

Former Rajshahi University VC Dr Abdul Khaleque has been named chairman while Shamsunnahar Chapa member secretary of the sub-committee.

The four VCs in the list are Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman of Dhaka University, Prof Harun-or-Rashid of National University, Prof Mijanur Rahman of Jagannath University and Prof Kamrul Hasan Khan of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.

Akhtaruzzaman was elected general secretary of the Dhaka University Teachers' Association (Duta) for three consecutive terms since 2004, and vice-president in 2009 and 2011 from the pro-AL Blue Panel. Besides, Harun-or-Rashid was elected Duta member from the Blue Panel.

Mijanur was a former presidium member of Jubo League, the AL's youth front. Kamrul is the secretary general of Peshajibi Samannay Parishad, a platform of pro-AL professionals.

The list also contains the names of six teachers of DU, four from Rajshahi University and one from Jahangirnagar University.

Talking to The Daily Star, Shamsunnahar said, “We proposed names of 49 people, including some educationalists, so that they can give valuable guidelines to the party. Their inclusion in the sub-committee would make it prestigious.”

Prof Mijanur said he was not informed officially about his inclusion in the sub-committee. “I came to know about it from some news portals and social media. I will comment on the matter once I am informed officially,” he added.