Uncertainty looms large over operation of academic activities at Rajshahi University after the resignation of almost all administrative post-holders, including the vice-chancellor, following the fall of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina鈥檚 autocratic regime.聽
According to the university registrar office, so far, a total of 75 top administrative officials except acting registrar and treasurer resigned from their posts till Thursday.
On Thursday, the education ministry instructed the secondary to tertiary level educational institutions under the ministry to resume academic activities on Sunday.
This instruction, however, will not be enough to resume the academic activities at Rajshahi University as it is one of the four public universities that are run by their own acts, said senior teachers.
RU Islamic history and culture professor Mohammad Fayek Uzzaman, who served as the vice-chancellor of Khulna University twice, said that the university authorities in an emergency syndicate meeting on July 16 decided to suspend the university鈥檚 academic activities for an indefinite period.
鈥楴ow, a syndicate meeting is a must to endorse the education ministry鈥檚 instruction in order to resume the academic activities. But, for that a vice-chancellor should be appointed first because only the vice-chancellor can call a syndicate meeting,鈥� he said.
RU former pro-vice-chancellor and geology and mining professor Chowdhury Sarwar Jahan, however, said that if the chancellor requested the university treasurer to call a syndicate meeting to endorse the education ministry鈥檚 instruction, there might be a chance of resuming academic activities.
Teachers and students, meanwhile, are saying that the present standstill situation will impact the students badly if the academic activities of the university cannot be resumed shortly through appointing new administrative officials, including a vice-chancellor.
Physics professor Saleh Hasan Naqib said that the interim government should immediately appoint a vice-chancellor to the university to ease the ongoing session jam.
Abdul Ahad, a final-year student of the Bangla department, said that his fourth year鈥檚 first semester final examination was scheduled to take place in July.
鈥楧ue to the teacher and student protests, however, our academic activities have been suspended for the one and a half months. If the academic activities are not resumed shortly, we may face prolonged session jams,鈥� he added.