Academic activities at Bangla department of Rajshahi University (RU) are being severely hampered due to acute shortage of teachers.
More than half of the teaching posts out of total 26 remain vacant for longer time, much to the cause of concern for over five hundred students of the department about their future.
Department sources said 14 teaching posts have been lying unfulfilled in the department. The university authorities are yet to pay any heed to resolve the crisis.
The classes and examinations of the students of five academic years have become very tough to carry on by only 12 teachers of the department, the department teachers said.
Students of the department said that due to shortage of the teachers, the classes of different courses in different years could not be held regularly and every teacher has to teach on several courses in every batch.
Consequently the academic activities at the department have been suffering gravely. The students are facing at least one and a half year session jam as the teachers could not conclude the courses in due time, students alleged.
While trying to take the details of the existing teachers’ problem, this correspondent found out that there is absolutely no recruitment of any teachers since 1998. Many senior teachers, meanwhile, went on retirement during the long period.
Teacher crisis has turned worst as two teachers are busy for carrying out charge as provost of two halls and another one as Teachers Students Cultural Centre (TSCC) director among the existing teachers. Besides, a senior teacher is going to retirement on June 30 this year.
Meanwhile, after the assumption of Awami League backed university administration, the authorities published an advertisement to appoint five lecturers at the department in 2009.
The authorities also issued viva cards to the candidates. But the appointment process came to a halt following a court stay order on the recruitment process.
The court’s directive came after a candidate for the post filed a case with lower court as he was not issued viva card though he has academic qualification for the post.
Following the court directive, the university authorities appealed to judge court against the stay order but the court is yet to hold any hearing about two years after the appeal.
Prof Dr Safikunnabi Samadi, chairman of the concerned department, told The Daily Star that they have been facing such crisis due to callous attitude of the university authorities’ towards the department.
“The authorities are yet to pay any heed to solve the problem though I met with the Vice Chancellor (VC) Prof Abdus Sobhan several times in this regard,” Prof Samadi said.
The problem has to be solved to carry on smooth academic activities of the department, he said adding “Students are being deprived of from their necessary education”.
Dr Anisur Rahman, advisor of the university legal cell, said that they appealed to a court of district judge against the lower court’s order. The schedule hearing of the appeal on April 8 was not held due the death of a lawyer, he said.
Despite repeated attempts by this correspondent, VC Prof Abdus Sobhan could not be reached for his comment over the issue.
Pro VC Prof Muhammad Nurullah, however, said that steps will be taken to resolve the existing problems in the department as soon as possible.
-With The Daily Star input
