Jahangirnagar University Vice-Chancellor Prof Anwar Hossain stepped down from his post by submitting his resignation letter to the president, also the chancellor of the university, on Monday.
Confirming the resignation, Registrar Abu Bakr Siddique told the Dhaka Tribune: “The resignation letter has been submitted to Jahangirnagar University Chancellor Abdul Hamid today [Monday] morning.”
When contacted, DU teacher Prof Anwar Hossain told the Dhaka Tribune: “I have resigned following the early declaration. Now I will return to Dhaka University.”
While asked about the next JU VC, Prof Anwar said the newly elected government would make decisions in this regard.
On Sunday, Prof Anwar Hossain announced quitting the post as he had been barred from entering the campus for over a month in the face of agitation by a section of teachers demanding his resignation.
However, the protesting teachers of the university expressed delight when Prof Anwar resigned and expected the nine-month long deadlock of the university would now be removed soon.
Jahangirnagar University Teachers’ Association President Prof Ajit Kumar Mazumder, also the convener of united forum, told the Dhaka Tribune that the authenticity of the teachers’ movement has been proven by the resignation of Prof Anwar Hossain.
General Teachers’ Forum Secretary Member Prof Muhammad Kamrul Ahsan said: “Our forum will make the next decision regarding our movement after we get the official documents of Prof Anwar’s resignation.”
A section of pro-Awami League teachers loyal to the ousted VC Prof Shariff Enamul Kabir, in collaboration with pro-BNP teachers, launched the movement against Prof Anwar as he had failed to mete out punishment for unruly leaders and activists of Bangladesh Chhatra League for assaulting a teacher.
General Secretary of the unit Rajib Ahmed Rasel reportedly assaulted a lecturer from the economics department, who is also a Syndicate member, on April 6. Though the VC suspended him immediately for six months he later withdrew the punishment.
Since then, the protesting teachers were agitating against the VC under various banners bringing some 18 allegations against him and boycotted classes and examinations several times.
The administrative offices of the university were locked for over 60 days in the last nine months.
On December 3, agitating teachers confined the VC at his residence for the second time while police rescued him on December 5 and escorted him to Dhaka.
The teachers then sealed and locked his campus residence and barred him from entering campus premises.
Then president and JU chancellor Zillur Rahman appointed Prof Anwar on May 20, 2012 as Prof Shariff was forced to step down on May 17 following protests on campus over the murder of Zubair Ahmed and the Chhatra League’s attack on the university’s cultural activists.
Taking charge of the university, Prof Anwar arranged the VC panel election on July 20 and he was re-appointed by the chancellor on July 24 from a three-member elected panel.