After the fall of the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, all educational institutions in the country started academic activities on Sunday. The interim government on August 15 ordered all educational institutions across the country to resume academic activities.
However, the university authorities can reopen their campuses after consulting their syndicate, academic council and teachers. During this political changeover, the vice-chancellors, pro-vice-chancellors, proctors, provosts and top officials of many public universities, including Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology, Rajshahi University, Jagannath University, Chattogram University, and National University, have resigned. Additionally, 10 educational institutions have banned political activities on their campuses.
Although there are no specific rules for the appointment of vice-chancellors in public universities, there appears to be an unofficial yet mandatory criterion—a teacher has to be affiliated with a pro-government teacher’s panel to be nominated for the top post in the past. However, the President acts as the chancellor and chief of academic and administrative activities in all universities of the country. Therefore, we hope he (the President) will take immediate initiatives to fill the posts of vice-chancellors, pro-vice-chancellors, treasurers, proctors and provosts in public universities. In the absence of timely filling of the vice-chancellors, pro-chancellors, treasurers, proctors and provosts, public universities will face serious difficulties in running academic activities smoothly.
We hope the President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Chief Adviser to the interim government Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus will direct all relevant authorities to take necessary steps to fill these important vacant posts as early as possible. The previous government on July 16 ordered the closure of all educational institutions, including universities amid violence during the quota reform movement. However, since July 1 students of all public and private universities had remained out of their respective campuses amid violent clashes between quota protesters and police.
Therefore, honours first, second, third and fourth year and masters examinations of all universities and colleges have also been postponed. The university authorities also suspended the admission process of first-year honours students.
Honours first, second, third and fourth year
and masters examinations of
all universities and
colleges have also been
postponed.
Since then as the educational institutions remain shut the threat of session jam is certainly looming large in universities. Apart from delaying academic plans, uncertainty and anxiety have also griped students due to indefinite holidays. We hope that smooth and sound academic environment must be ensured first on every university campus right now.
This suffocating situation has left students and parents in a state of panic, with fears of a more challenging situation in the coming days. The university authorities should take special programmes and measures to make-up the learning losses of the students.
Apart from the President and the Chief Adviser, the education ministry, the UGC, authorities of public universities, academic and experts will also have to reach a concrete decision to continue students’ academic activities during this tough time. Our teachers should utilise the merit of the students for the development of the country and to make their thinking more effective as well.
The students will also spend their valuable times with studies alongside other extra-curriculum activities on their respective campuses. Country’s all political parties must control their respective ‘student wings’. Sometimes several extremely unfortunate incidents had created chaos on the campus, compelling the authorities shut the universities for indefinite period after ‘attack and vandalism’ or other unwanted incidents on their campuses.
The government should beef up security in all educational institutions in order to keep our students safe and secure. The stringent security measures must also be taken for smooth functioning of academic activities before reopening and thwart any evil plans by the vested elements. We hope that a new sun will rise that will take away all sorrows, pains, and fears from our country.
