BSMMU sacks 11 teachers

The authorities of the country’s lone medical university, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), yesterday sacked 10 professors and one associate professor for, what they said, ‘unlawful’ appointments.
University registrar Abdul Gafur who served the letter in this regard to the teachers told The Independent that the 11 had been relieved of their jobs because their appointments flouted the Public Servants (retirements) Act, 1974 that prohibited the recruitment of retired government officials as permanent employees.
He also said that the act stated that the retired persons could join any autonomous institute on contract, not as permanent staff.
The order will came into effect from today.
The teachers. However, said, it was politically a motivated decision as their appointment was not unlawful. “We were appointed as per the University Act 1998,” they said while talking to The Independent.
The terminated teachers are: Professor of Gynaecology Dr Sayba Akhter, Professor of Nephrology Dr Jahangir Kabir, Professor of Transplant Urology Dr S A Khan, Professor of Maxilo-facial Surgery Dr Matiur Rahman Mollah, Professor of Microbiology Dr Abul Kashem Chowdhury, Professor of Physiology Dr Noorjahan, Professor of Gynaecology Dr Nasim Akhter Chowdhury, Professor of Pharmacology Dr Nargis Akhter, Professor of Cardiology Dr Nazrul Islam, Professor of Radiology Dr Mizanur Rahman and associate professor of Plastic Surgery Dr Sharif Hossain. 
BSMMU Syndicate made the decision just before the Eid holiday, Gafur said.
University sources said, the teachers were terminated allegedly for appointments during the BNP-Jamaat coalition government.
One of the sacked teachers Prof Sayeba Akhter said, it was around 12pm when she received the termination letter from the administration that asked her to leave the position by today.
She claimed that she had applied and appeared at the selection examination before her appointment. “So my appointment was justified,” she said.
Another victim, Professor Mollah, told this correspondent that they were not given any scope of taking any legal move against the letter as it ordered them out in barely a day.
“I got the appointment five years ago after open competition,” he said, adding, as per the University Act his job was permanent after completing one-year provisional period.
The same registrar, Abdul Gafur, asked me to submit papers that I quit government job. And on submission papers I got the appointment letter, Dr Mollah said.
I do not understand why the university authorities invoke the act of 1974 after five years of my job, he said.
Another professor Dr S A Khan said, they did it intentionally. “We are all competent physicians and such an action is tantamount to insult us,” he said.
He said the authorities did not terminate some others who got the appointment like the way we did.
The leaders of Bangladesh Medical Association (BMA) and Doctors Association of Bangladesh (DAB) condemned the termination of the teachers who were making contribution to the medical education.
Dr AKM Azizul Haque who is the president of BMA and DAB said, “My language fails me to condemn the action.”
“It’s really bad practice that the government intends to terminate the experts from medical university because of political affiliations,” he said.
He demanded that the government immediately reverse the decision. 
 
Courtesy of The Independent