The High Court today stayed the process of recruitment of six teachers for Jahangirnagar University's philosophy department till June 20.

The court also asked the JU authorities to submit the relevant documents regarding appointments of the teachers to it by June 20.

The HC bench of Justice M Enayetur Rahim and Justice Md Mostafizur Rahman passed the order during hearing a writ petition filed challenging the JU authorities' move to recruit six lecturers to its philosophy department.

Lawyers Aneek R Haque and Syeda Nasrin appeared for the writ petitioners while Deputy Attorney General Arobinda Kumar Roy represented the state and lawyer Cumar Debul Dey argued for JU.

The JU authorities issued a circular on February 11 for appointing six lecturers to its philosophy department.

Four teachers of the department -- Professor Dr Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan, Professor Dr ASM Anwarullah Bhuiyan, Professor Md Zakir Hossain and Assistant Professor Abdus Satter -- on June 10 filed the writ petition with the HC, challenging the JU authorities circular.

In the petition, they said that the JU authorities issued the circular when the country was not under lockdown situation.

After four months into issuance the circular the applicants on June 7, 2021 suddenly received a text message to attend virtual viva voce on June 12 for the appointment and therefore, the whole department and the petitioners had no idea about it, they said in the petition.

The petitioners sought stay on the recruitment process.