Prof Anwar Hossain, vice-chancellor of Jahangirnagar University (JU) has extended his leave for 10 more days, counting from today, JU Registrar Abu Bakr Siddique confirmed in a press briefing yesterday.
Pro VC Prof M A Matin (education) would assume the duties of the acting VC till December 20, he said.
This is the fourth time the VC had extended his leave. He had been on a medical leave since November 20, sources said.
Demanding quick execution of the chancellor’s directives, the agitating teachers, students, and employees of the ongoing anti-VC movement have shut all the administrative activities of the university.
On November 6, President Abdul Hamid, also the chancellor of the university had asked the VC to hold senate polls immediately and select a VC panel through the senate in line with the JU act for resolving the ongoing crisis.
The chancellor had also asked the VC that he withdrew the writ petitions filed against some teachers of the university.
From November 20, JU teachers confined two pro-VCs, Prof MA Matin (education) and Prof Afsar Ahmed (administration) and released them after 12 days of confinement.
Members of the JU Teachers-Students and Officers-Employees United Forum had shut the administrative office bringing all kinds of administrative activities to a standstill, as the authorities allegedly had not taken any initiative to hold VC panel elections and withdraw writ petitions against the teachers.
Later, they force-confined Prof Anwar Hossain to his residence since December 2.
After three days of the confinement, the VC left JU for Dhaka under strict police security following government decision.
Although the government has sent the VC on a leave, the forum is yet to withdraw the movement. They locked and sealed the VC’s residence on the campus from Monday that he was prohibited on campus, source said.
A number of former students alleged that they could not issue their certificates and other necessary papers because of the stalemate.
The current students are not being able to take admission for the next semester.
At a press conference, United Forum’s Secretary Prof Kamrul Ahsan said they were agitating to execute the chancellor’s order.
They would not withdraw the movement until the VC panel election was declared, he said.
The university’s admission tests for the academic year 2013-14, hangs in limbo. The admission test was scheduled to be held from December 17-29 but it might be rescheduled again because of lack of preparation, source said.
Earlier, VC Prof Anwar Hossain was determined to hold the admission test from December 2 but his initiative failed as a section of teachers denied to cooperate with him.
VC Prof Anwar Hossain was not available over his cell phone despite several attempts.
