Administrative activities at Khulna University have been hampered as 30 teachers of the university resigned en masse from 33 administrative posts, including a head of department and a hall provost, protesting against a perceived insult to one of their female fellows.
The teachers submitted their resignation letters to the office of the university’s registrar on 23 January, university sources said.
The sources said the teachers resigned from administrative posts because Prof Dr Afroza Parveen, acting director of the Fine Arts Institute, was insulted by Professor Mostafa Sarwar at the academic council meeting held on January 18. The meeting was presided over by Vice-Chancellor Dr Fayequzzaman.
During the meeting, acting head of Development Studies Discipline Prof Dr Mostafa Sarwar raised question about the validity of Dr Afroza’s continuation as the acting director of the institute, given a senior professor joined the institute two months ago.
He then said as per the rules, the senior professor should be made director of the Fine Arts Institute, and that Dr Afroza had no right to attend the academic council meeting as acting director.
Following the remark, Dr Afroza tendered her resignation letter to the vice-chancellor on January 22.
Meanwhile, syndicate members of the university have appealed to the teachers to restart administrative work, for greater interest of the university, and carry on with the educational activities and examinations. “The deadlock will never end until Mostafa Sarwar apologies to Professor Parvin for insulting her,” said a teacher on condition of anonymity.
The vice-chancellor said he would sit with the teachers at any point, and requested them to restart work and resolve the crisis in the interests of the students.