DU senate sits today amid white panel members' boycott

The senate of Dhaka University sits today to nominate a three-member panel for appointment of the vice chancellor, amid a boycott by the pro-BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami white panel.

Convenor of the white panel Prof Akhter Hossain Khan announced the boycott through a press conference at DU Teachers' Club yesterday.

“We cannot take part in the special session of the senate on ethical grounds as around 50 posts of the 105-member senate remain vacant,” he said. “It is totally unexpected.”

A section of the pro-Awami League blue panel, which backs incumbent VC Prof Arefin Siddique, also wanted to halt the VC panel election earlier, citing the same reason -- absence of 55 members of the senate.

The section led by Prof Maksud Kamal, president of Dhaka University Teachers' Association (Duta), also went to court, but the Supreme Court later cleared the way for holding the senate session to nominate a VC panel today.

As per the Dhaka University Order, 1973, the VC shall be appointed by the chancellor for a period of four years from a panel of three teachers. He shall be nominated by the university senate, and be eligible for a re-appointment for a second term.

However, in 2013, the question about the legality of the special session for selection of the VC panel was raised because 55 members of the senate, including 25 registered graduate representatives, were not present at the meeting.

There was no full-fledged senate back in 2013 because the tenure of the 55 senators had expired. That meeting was held in the presence of 36 senate members out of 50.

From there, senators elected a three-member panel consisting of Prof Arefin Siddique, Prof Sahid Akhter Hussain, and Prof Nasrin Ahmed. President Abdul Hamid appointed Prof Arefin for the next four years. The tenure of Prof Arefin ends on August 24.

Contacted, Prof Arefin told The Daily Star that the VC panel election would take place as scheduled. "We will hold the election as per rules and regulations of our university. There is no legal bar on this senate session as a senate session can be organised when 25 senate members are present, and any decision can be made in the presence of 30 senators.”