Incumbent Vice-Chancellor of Begum Rokeya University (BRU) in Rangpur, Prof Dr Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah was absent for 250 working days out of 340! This means he attended office for 90 days only, sources said.
The Ministry of Education issued a circular on June 1 last year after President Abdul Hamid gave consent to appointing Kalimullah as the BRU VC.
The circular said Dr Kalimullah, as the chief executive officer of the university, will stay in the campus all the time.
Complying with the terms of appointment, Dr Kalimullah took his family to Rangpur and started living at the VC’s residence on the campus. But, along with his family he returned to the capital after several days.
Since then, the BRU VC went to the university occasionally to attend meetings and seminars, the sources said
Teachers, officials as well as students alleged that Dr Kalimullah came to the campus for one or two days per week and then returned to Dhaka. Sometimes, he arrived in Rangpur by a morning flight at Saidpur Airport and went back to Dhaka by an afternoon flight.
“He (the VC) comes to the university at his will,” they said.
Sources said, Dr Kalimullah stayed at the university only for 90 days with the campus had on a 30-day holiday. Besides, he did not hand over charge to others during his absence resulting in administrative and academic deadlock.
According reliable sources, Dr Kalimullah stayed for five days on last April. The VC flew to Rangpur from Dhaka back and forth for 10 times from March 30 to May 17 this year. He is in the capital now.
Describing the gossip on the VC’s stay on the campus a ‘sabotage’, BRU Teacher Association General Secretary Taibur Rahman said, “It is a relative issue whether he stays on the campus. Even, if he stays outside he does perform the university’s activities.”
However, the former Teachers Association General Secretary of BRU Golam Rabbani took a sharply opposite stand. “How on earth does the VC stay in Dhaka violating the President’s order on living in the campus?” Rabbani asked.
“He will enjoy the privilege of the VC’s post but will not obey the President’s order---- that can not happen. His absence has caused impasse in administrative and academic activities,” said the teachers’ leader.
Tuhin Wadud, former president of the association, termed the VC’s absence on the campus and his disobeying the President’s order, as “depressing”.
Dr Kalimullah, however, brushed aside allegations on being absent in the university.
“Unlike teachers, it’s not mandatory for the VC, pro-VC and treasurer to stay on the campus.
They need to stay in Dhaka for official work on different occasions” he told Bangla Tribune.
Universities located outside Dhaka have liaison offices in the capital. So, it’s usual for outstation officials to stay in the capital for different reasons including syndicate meeting, urgent meeting, ministerial meeting, and works related to University Grants Commission and courts.”
Different quarters are trying to confuse people by spreading propaganda, the BRUR VC claimed.