Gopalganj university VC ignores rules to appoint nephew

Passing SSC, HSC, honours and masters exams with a first class grade is mandatory to get an appointment as a lecturer at any public university in the country. But the vice chancellor of BSMRSTU Professor Khondoker Nasiruddin appointed his nephew Khondoker Mahmud Parvez as a lecturer even though he did not have such an academic record.

Professor Khondoker Nasiruddin, vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University (BSMRSTU) in Gopalganj, also promoted Parvez to assistant professor, ignoring the necessary requirements for appointment to that position. 

Sources at the university said VC Professor Khondoker Nasiruddin appointed Mahmud Parvez as a section officer at the university in 2016. 

Later, when a post of lecturer in the International Relations department became vacant, VC Nasiruddin appointed Parvez to that post in July 2017. But he did not stop there. Parvez was promoted to assistant professor after only two years, though the university rules stipulate that a lecturer must have at least three years teaching experience to be promoted to assistant professor from a lecturer. The university could relax the requirements if the candidate has publications, but Parvez has none.

On Wednesday, Parvez told The Business Standard that it was not the culture of the International Relations department of Dhaka University, his alma mater, to award a first class to students. That is why he got second classes in both honours and masters exams. 

But this correspondent learnt that at least one student got a first class from each batch before the grade point scale was introduced in the department in Dhaka University.

Parvez also claimed that the allegations of irregularities are just a conspiracy against him, and that he has fulfilled all the requirements to get promoted to the post of assistant professor.

VC Professor Khondoker Nasiruddin was appointed vice-chancellor of BSMRSTU in 2014, and then got reappointment to that post in 2018. 

Sources say that since his appointment, VC Nasiruddin has committed irregularities and has misbehaved with students and teachers. On September 7 this year he suspended six students over some Facebook posts.

After that, VC Nasiruddin faced huge criticism on social media, and protests against him spread across the country.

Responding to the education ministry's order on Tuesday, a five-member team of the University Grants Commission (UGC) led by Professor Dr Dil Afroza Begum started investigating allegations against VC Nasiruddin at BSMRSTU on Wednesday. The other members of the investigating team are Professor Dr Sazzad Hossain, Professor Dr Md Alamgir, Director (Public University Management Division) Md Kamal Uddin and Deputy Director of the same division Mauli Azad. 

When contacted, Dr Dil Afroza Begum told The Business Standard, "We cannot make any comment while the investigation is going on." 

Earlier, on Tuesday VC Nasiruddin arranged a press conference where he hurled abusive words at the protesting students and alleged that the students are committing anti-social activities in the name of a movement.

The students brought out a broom procession on campus on Wednesday to protest the vice-chancellor's comments.