Khulna Agricultural University: Recruitment stopped over anomalies

The authorities of Khulna Agricultural University (KAU) are withdrawing their decision to recruit professors directly to its microbiology and health department after anomalies were found in the recruitment process.
This development came after the education ministry ordered KAU to cancel the job advertisement, through which Ferdousi Begum, wife of KAU Vice Chancellor Prof Md Shahidur Rahman Khan, applied for a post.
KAU has already formed a committee to formulate a policy akin to that of appointing teachers for Bangladesh Agricultural University to address anomalies in recruitment, said a university official.
University Grants Commission (UGC) has found several anomalies in the recruitment of teachers and staff for KAU. As per the findings, on August 3, the ministry gave several directives centring the anomalies. The Daily Star obtained copies of the findings and recommendations of UGC's probe committee.
According to the probe report, a total of 73 teachers were appointed through a selection board that had the same people for all appointments and did not have subject experts.
"Directives can be given to form separate selection boards according to the acts, rules and policies," it reads.
"The process of appointing the VC's daughter Ishrat Khan was flawed too. Directives can be given to address the procedural flaws in the recruitment for the Department of Computer Science and Engineering," reads the probe report. The committee also recommended that the education ministry cancel the advertisement through which the VC's wife applied for the professor's post in the microbiology and health department. The UGC probe committee requested the issuing of directives for the KAU authorities to refrain from nepotism during recruitment.
Based on the probe report, the education ministry in its order said, "Since the VC himself acknowledged the recruitment of his nine family members and relatives, measures need to be taken to cancel their appointments." It also asked to cancel the appointment of the 73 teachers in 20 subjects.
Contacted, KAU Registrar Dr Mazharul Anwar (Shajahan) said they received the ministry's order on August 25. "The vice-chancellor is not present [on campus]. We'll soon hold a meeting on the matter and take measures accordingly."
The KAU authorities will send a report on the measures taken by it to the ministry and a draft reply in this regard has already been prepared, he said.
Preferring anonymity, a KAU official said it is not possible to cancel the 73 teachers' appointments. There are rules to include subject-wise experts in the selection board for recruiting professors and associate professors, but there is no such provision for assistant professors and lecturers.
Of the 73 appointed teachers, 66 are lecturers and seven are assistant professors. "We'll request the ministry to withdraw the directives related to the cancellation of appointment of 73 teachers," said VC Shahidur, adding that his daughter is one of the 73 teachers. Asked about the appointment of his relatives, he said, "I was not on the selection board. They were recruited following due procedures."
"We'll inform the ministry within a day or two and take steps as per their guidelines." he added.
Meanwhile, KAU Teachers Association has protested the cancellation of appointment of 73 teachers. In a statement signed by its president Dr Taslim Hossain, the association demanded withdrawal of the directive.
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