Chittagong University recruited 172 employees without any advertisements and recruitment tests during the tenure of immediate past vice chancellor Shireen Akhter.

Thirty-seven of them were hired on Tuesday, the last working day of Shireen at the university. They were appointed on daily-wage basis to third and fourth class posts, sources on campus said.

Most of the new recruits, including 15 third class and 22 fourth class employees, were either involved in Chhatra League or residents of the areas near the university. They were appointed for six months.

The ex-VC made such appointments several times since assuming office on November 4, 2019.

Of the 172 employees, 115 were hired for third-class and the rest were for fourth class posts.

Naim Uddin Hasan Aurangajeb Chowdhury, a CU syndicate member, said a syndicate meeting in October last year passed a resolution on forming a committee that would determine whether any new manpower was required for departments and offices of the university.

"According to the resolution, no recruitment circular would be issued without the committee's recommendation.

"It is very unfortunate that former VC Shireen Akhter recruited people on daily-wage basis violating the resolution," he said.

Aurangajeb said another syndicate meeting on November 30 last year postponed the appointments of 17 third-class employees.

"The next syndicate meeting will discuss the 37 appointments made by Shireen Akhter on her last working day," he told The Daily Star.

He said the CU syndicate has jurisdiction to cancel or postpone any appointment for violation of the recruitment rules.

Shireen appointed people ignoring a University Grants Commission ban on recruiting staffers on ad-hoc and daily-wage basis, and on master roll without prior UGC approval. The UGC issued a circular in this regard in September 2020.

Sources in the CU said the former VC appointed at least 105 people on daily-wage basis in the last three months of her tenure.

The daily salary of the 37 new recruits is between Tk 330 and Tk 650. They were hired for different posts including security guard, office peon, book binder, computer lab assistant, canteen assistant, senior assistant, junior assistant, pesh imam, sweeper, and cleaner.

This paper could know the names of six new recruits and all of them belonged to CU BCL.

Speaking to The Daily Star, some CU teachers said legal action should be taken after a probe into the recruitment of 37 people.

"She made such appointments several times," said Prof Siraj-ud-Daula, dean of the social science faculty.

He demanded the authorities conduct a probe into all the appointments.

In May 2021, 15 people were hired on daily-wage basis without issuing any circular and holding any exams. The appointments were made for the third- and fourth-class posts of office assistant, library assistant and pump assistant.

In June 2020, an acting security officer was appointed to CU while five people were hired as security guards in December that year. All those appointments were made without issuing any circular and holding any recruitment tests, said sources.

On March 5, 2022, the CU syndicate postponed the controversial appointment of a teacher to the Persian language and literature department.

The development came after audio clips of five phone conversations of lobbying for the appointments of teachers were leaked. An employee of the university was heard saying -- Tk 16 lakh for the post of teacher, Tk 12 lakh for the post of third class employee and Tk 8 lakh for the post of fourth class employee will be required to get appointed.

Contacted, Shireen on Friday said she would not make any comment on the issue.

"I am disheartened by the propaganda activities you all outlets are carrying out against me," she told The Daily Star.

Incumbent CU VC Prof Abu Taher said he wants the UGC to probe the appointments and take necessary steps.

Asked whether he would take any initiative to investigate the recruitments, Taher said, "We will discuss the issue in the next syndicate meeting."

UGC Secretary Ferdous Zaman said they are confident that the university authorities will be able to resolve the issue.

"If they do not do it, we will take steps to launch a probe," he said.