The Dhaka University Syndicate has finalised the appointment of a lecturer, leaving aside two other controversial candidates selected by the recruitment board, to its Urdu department apparently in the face of objections raised by other deserving candidates and criticism in media.
The decision came at a meeting held last evening with Vice-Chancellor Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique.
The two candidates in question – Sayera Zerin and Md Masum Sheikh – were dropped since they did not have necessary requirements mentioned in the advertisement on June 12.
In 2011, Zerin passed the oral exam but was dropped by the Syndicate.
To apply for the post of lecturer, the candidates should have minimum CGPA of 4.25 in SSC. But Zerin had 3.63 while Masum 4.
The duo was not among the five candidates who met all the requirements.
“The media bitterly criticised the selection board as it chose the duo. But qualification of most of the 19 applicants was below standard. We had to choose among them,” Prof Nasrin Ahmed, the pro vice-chancellor of the university and also head of the committee, told the Dhaka Tribune.
Earlier, the recruitment committee sent a list of three candidates to the Syndicate for approval. Of the 19 applications, the committee shortlisted 11 candidates to face the oral exams, and later selected the trio.
The other deserving candidates, dissatisfied over the committee’s decision, met with the VC on Monday and submitted a memorandum demanding cancellation of the recruitment process.
Other members of the committee were former chairman of the department Prof Golam Rabbani, Arts Faculty Dean Prof Akhteruzzaman, Islamic studies department’s Prof Ali Haider and Prof Abdul Mabud of Arabic department.
According to sources, Associate Professor Mahmudul Islam of the Urdu department wanted Zerin to become a teacher while a senior official of the Prime Minister’s Office phoned for Masum.
Asked about qualification of the duo, Prof Akhteruzzaman said they had chosen the best candidates.