PM intervenes to resolve feud

Several pro-Awami League teachers of Dhaka University yesterday heavily criticised their vice-chancellor in front of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina over a split in the Blue Panel centring on the May 22 senate election.

The prime minister, on the other hand, directed the DU teachers to forget enmity and work together to ensure the victory of the pro-AL panel in the election keeping in mind the national political context.

VC Prof AAMS Arefin Siddiqe and 14 teachers from Prof Maksud Kamal-led faction of the panel participated in the two-hour meeting held at the Prime Minister's Office in the afternoon.

The PM convened the meeting to quell the feud between the two factions -- one led by Blue Panel Convener Prof Nazma Shahin and another by DU Teachers' Association President Prof Maksud Kamal.

Both the groups filed nomination papers in the election under the banner of Blue Panel, the panel of pro-AL teachers. 

Sunday was the last day for pulling out of the race.

With both sides refusing to budge, tensions mounted on the campus. Maksud-led faction alleges that the VC is backing the Nazma-led panel in the election.

A number of teachers say they believe that the next VC panel election is the main reason behind the division as the current VC's tenure will end in August.

As per the Dhaka University Order 1973, the VC shall be appointed by the chancellor for a period of four years from a panel of three teachers nominated by the university senate, and be eligible for a re-appointment for a second term.

Sources said as Prof Arefin was nearing the end of his first term, a section of teachers has started lobbying political circles to get their blessings to be the next VC and make sure that Prof Arefin doesn't remain in the VC panel again.

Another section of teachers wants the present VC gets a reappointment.

Yesterday morning, Chief Election Commissioner Prof Kamal Uddin, also treasurer of DU, cancelled the nominations of all the 35 candidates of Maksud-led faction, saying they were creating divisions among teachers and hampering congenial educational atmosphere of the university.

The candidates learned about the cancellation on their way to the PMO.

Prof Sadeka Halim, one of teachers, said, “We told the PM that cancellation of nomination of their panel was completely undemocratic and violation of the university order of 1973.

“The PM listened to us attentively and directed us to work together. We have pledged to do so.”

Prof Muhammad Samad came down hard on the VC at the meeting, saying Prof Arefin is an autocrat and takes decision unilaterally. He also called the VC a barbarian and cruel person. 

He, however, told this newspaper, “We will remain united after the PM's order.”

The PM wanted to know why Maksud's group had to field candidates in the senate polls.

Prof Golam Rabbani told the PM that they had to form a counter panel because the VC had dropped their names from the Blue Panel unilaterally. 

After hearing them, the PM recalled how hard times she had to go through to bring the killers of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to book. She told them how difficult it was to try the war criminals with hundreds of their followers being present in the country.

Hasina said she knows how hard it is to run administration and urged the teachers to help the DU administration so that it functions properly.

The VC did not respond to the allegations brought against him.

He only said that there can be errors in running the administration. And there would have been different versions had the teachers who got the nominations from the Blue Panel come to the meeting.   

Talking to The Daily Star later, Prof Arefin said the PM was briefed about different issues of the university. “She listened carefully and directed the teachers to work together and help the administration function smoothly.”     

“I hope,” he added, “all the teachers will unite for the university the way they did in the past.”

Around 10 teachers spoke at the meeting that began at 1:00pm.

AL General Secretary Obaidul Quader and Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid were also present at the meeting.