Education Desk:
Barisal University teachers have announced a full academic and administrative shutdown from May 11, declaring Vice-Chancellor (VC) Prof Dr Mohammad Taufiq Alam persona non grata on campus due to complications in promotion procedures and the failure of the syndicate meeting to resolve the issue.
In a press release on Thursday (May 10), the teachers’ community stated that despite their demands for faculty promotions being at the center of a 10-day protest at Barisal University from April 20, the administration did not take any effective steps to resolve the crisis. This led to a halt in academic activities and exams, causing extreme anxiety among students.
On April 30, a meeting attended by the Barisal Divisional Commissioner, Vice-Chancellor, and teacher representatives discussed a solution. However, teachers allege that since then, the VC, Prof Dr Mohammad Taufiq Alam, has acted unilaterally without implementing any practical steps to resolve the crisis.
The press release stated that the VC called an emergency syndicate meeting on May 9, ignoring the opinions of most respected syndicate members and failing to take any effective action to address the university’s ongoing crisis. This, they believe, further complicated the situation.
At a general meeting of teachers held on Thursday, several crucial decisions were made. From May 11, the VC has been declared persona non grata on the university campus, and a full shutdown of all academic activities, including classes, exams, and administrative work, has been announced. Teachers holding administrative positions have also decided to resign.
Teacher leaders said they had shown patience and engaged in discussions for a long time to restore the university’s normal environment and resolve the crisis. However, due to the administration’s failure to take effective and acceptable steps, they are forced to intensify their actions again.
They demand that a clean and accountable administrative environment be ensured at the university based on the opinions of its stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the announcement of the new teachers’ protest has caused further anxiety among students. With the full shutdown, classes and exams are indefinitely suspended, potentially extending the session. Students have expressed concern and urged all parties to quickly resolve the crisis.
Multiple attempts to contact Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Taufiq Alam for comment were unsuccessful.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report