The three member panel of candidates for the post of Dhaka University (DU) vice chancellor, which was nominated by the DU senate on July 29, has been declared illegal by the High Court.
Furthermore, the special senate meeting that was called by DU on July 29 to nominate the panel was also declared illegal. The court has ordered the DU authorities to take necessary steps to form the senate properly within the next six months.
The High Court bench of Justice Zinat Ara and Justice Quazi Mohammad Ijarul Haque Akand gave the verdict on Tuesday.
The Dhaka University Senate consists of 105 members, including the Vice Chancellor (VC), two Pro-VCs, treasurer, five government officials, five parliamentarians, five distinguished educationists, five representatives from research bodies, five affiliated college principals, 10 affiliated college teachers, the Dhaka Education Board chairman, 25 representatives from registered graduates, 35 elected teachers and five representatives from the Central Students’ Union.
The senate votes for a panel of three candidates for the post of VC and sends it to the chancellor, the president of Bangladesh, who makes the appointment.
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Of the 105 senators, only 48 were present when the panel was nominated on July 29. Among the seats empty at the meeting, the 25 posts for registered graduates and the five for Central Students’ Union representatives were and still remain vacant.
On July 16, the Dhaka University registrar sent letters to its senate members for a special meeting on July 29, to discuss the election of the panel for the post of VC.
Later, on July 24, several teachers and registered graduates, including Prof Sadeka Halim, Prof AKM Golam Rabbani and Prof Harunur Rashid Khan, filed a petition with the High Court against the convening of the senate meeting for finalising VC recommendations without first nominating or electing representatives from registered graduates. Consequently, the High Court stayed the special senate meeting scheduled for July 29.
However, the Appellate Division withdrew the High Court’s stay order on July 26 and scheduled the petition to be heard on July 30, allowing the senate to convene the special meeting on July 29 and select three candidates for the post of VC- then VC AAMS Arefin Siddique, Treasurer Prof Kamal Uddin, and Science faculty Dean and former Blue panel convener Prof Abdul Aziz.
Pro BNP-Jamaat teachers boycotted the senate session, and were later joined by DU students. A scuffle then ensued between those boycotting the senate session and some teachers in favour of it.
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Later, because of a time petition, the hearing was pushed back to August 3. Upon hearing the writ, the Appellate Division stayed the panel of VC candidates and asked the High Court to settle the matter within four weeks.
However, before the High Court could do so, President Md Abdul Hamid appointed Islamic History Professor Md Akhtaruzzaman as the interim VC on Sep 4, through Section 11 (2) of DU Ordinance 1973, as Arefin Siddique's term had expired.
In addition, DU VC Akhtaruzzaman said that the university changed their lawyer as their objective had changed. Kamrul Haque Siddiqui represented DU in the hearing on the issue on October 5, taking over for Abdul Matin Khashru. The writ petitioner is being represented by Mostafizur Rahman Khan.
Meanwhile, a High Court bench comprised of Justice Salma Masud Chowdhury and Justice AKM Zahirul Hoque issued a ruling asking why the appointment of Sadeka Halim as acting dean of the Social Science Faculty under the tenure of DU VC Akhtaruzzaman, in the place of former acting dean Prof AJM Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan, should not also be declared illegal. The DU authorities have been given four weeks to respond.
Prof AJM Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan had filed a writ petition arguing against the university syndicates decision to remove him from the post. Shafiul was represented by Abdul Matin Khashru.
Tuesday, June 17, 2025
