All activities at HSTU come to a halt

The former vice chancellor Prof Ruhul Amin retired from his job on September 26 this year and since then academic and administrative activities at the university had almost stalled, said Dr ATM Shafiqul Islam, proctor of the university. Md Delwar Hossain, associate professor and controller of examinations at HSTU, said all admission tests at the university for regular and other courses, which were scheduled to be held from December 18 to 21, had been suspended. The admission tests would be held after a new VC was appointed, said Delwar. A total of 96,041 admission aspirants have applied for admission at HSTU against 2,087 seats in different regular and other courses this year, according to the university. Prof SM Harun-ur-Rashid, director of Student Advisory and Counselling section, said if the admission tests could not be given on due time, classes and examinations of the courses would be delayed. Besides, approval of VC was required to hold semester examinations and appoint examiners, he said. “So, if a new VC is not appointed as soon as possible, there is a possibility of session jam,” added Prof Harun. Prof Saifur Rahman, registrar of HSTU, said: “All activities, which require the approval of VC, including giving stipends to students, have been stopped. Wages of the staff, who work on daily basis, cannot be paid also for the same reason.” Mohiuddin Nur, a student of the university, said classes and examinations were not being given properly, which might cause session jam. Another student Tariqul Islam Tareq said students were being deprived of their stipends, as there was no VC.