The incumbent vice chancellor of Jahangirnagar University Professor Shariff Enamul Kabir has passed two years in office since taking over on February 24, 2009 following the Grand Coalition’s landslide victory in the December 2008 elections. In the last two years, many developments works were undertaken in the education sector as well as other sectors, but these have always been hampered by the ruling party’s student wing’s internal clashes shaming the authorities frequently. In an effort to control the behaviour of the students’ organization, JU authorities expelled over 150 leaders and activists of both Bangladesh Chhattra League (BCL) and Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal, including the BCL’s incumbent president and secretary, over the last 2 years. In the mean time, probe committees were formed in this regard but most of the reports are yet to see daylight. JU authorities’ roles have often been controversial as over 130 teachers were allegedly appointed due to partisanship. Appointment-business (in which appointments are made in exchange of money) violating the principles of merit adds to the protection to an influential teacher of the ruling party, who had been accused of sexual harassment by his colleague and razing of trees to clear the view of Shahid Minar from the campus’ main entrance. Besides, about 400 trees were cut down around the campus causing changes in campus’ bio-diversity. The incumbent JU VC Prof Shariff Enamiul Kabir along with JU pro-VC (administration) Prof Farhad Hossain took office and subsequently vowed to make the JU Campus free of session-jam. For this reason, at least 175 students were expelled at various times including JU BCL unit president Rasedul Isalm Shafin and Secretary Nirjhor Alam Sammoy, JCD JU unit joint convener Galib Imtiaj Nahid and Chhatra Union vice president Mahi Mahfuj. The mentionable contributions over the last two years included reducing the hectic session jams, introducing unit-base MCQ examinations in the admission tests instead of traditional written system, and publishing the admission test results within a very short time. Besides, some 9 disciplines under two institutions and one faculty were launched in the last two years. One female students’ dormitory, new administrative building and main gate were built. Meanwhile, JU Syndicate decided to establish ‘Wazed Mian Science Research Centre (WMSRC)’ on May 30, 2009. The government has already approved a grant of Tk 10 crore for the WMSRC. Wi-fi access has been launched in the students’ dormitories bringing them under the Awami League-led Grand Coalition’s declared goal of Digital Bangladesh and modernisation. Lessening the burden of session jam, external examiners were taken from the departments and publishing of results was made mandatory within the two month of holding examinations, decreasing the eight to twelve-month long session jams. On the other hand, JU authorities have increased the admission fees of both M. Phil and PhD making higher education and research harder. In the last 2 years, majority of teachers out of 140 were appointed with considerations of partisanship. A newly appointed teacher, Tasnuma Zaman, has already been accused of making incorrect question-paper in the semester’s final examination by the students of Bangla department (37th batch). It was learnt that this teacher obtained 7th place in her Graduation and 4th place in post graduation. Another teacher, Ahsan Imam –reportedly passed from the Folklore department of Rajshai University- was appointed considering partisanship keeping out the applicants having first places in both graduation and post-graduation. The appointment of Mrs. Rezwana Abedin raised similar concerns. Partisan appointments were also made in the departments of Anthropology, International Relations, Archaeology, and History. In the Pharmacy department, there is Sharmin Chawdhury, who obtained 11th and 9th places in her graduation and post graduation respectively, and is among 7 teachers who were appointed having no first/second places in the graduation or post-graduation results, leaving aside at least one applicant having 1st or 2nd place. The conditions of electricity around the campus have become intolerable, resulting in students being forced to stage protest demonstrations, and blocking the Dhaka-Aricha highways. Cooked-food prices have been increasing. JU authorities always played silent roles in this regard. Journalists’ conditions: Journalists were targeted by both the administration and the BCL. JU authorities excluded some national newspapers from the PRO’s (Public Relation Office) list as the correspondents reported news against the administration’s wrongdoings. BCL men had assaulted the journalists several times including Polash Mahamud, president and Sayed Jonaed, general secretary of Jahangirnagar University Journalists’ Association (JUJA). Several probe committees were formed in this regard but penalties to the culprits are yet to materialise.


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