Vice chancellors retain party positions in political committees and teachers’ organizations

University vice chancellors are considered the guardians of their institutions. Regardless of political affiliation, they should stand above all others in terms of neutrality in the eyes of teachers, students, officers and employees. Educationists believe that after assuming the highest administrative position at a university, a vice chancellor’s primary responsibility is to protect the overall interests of the institution beyond their political identity. In the past, there have been instances of vice chancellors and pro vice chancellors resigning from positions in partisan teachers’ organizations after taking office.

However, the current picture appears to be different. Many continue to hold party positions even after being appointed vice chancellors and pro vice chancellors. Some serve on central committees of political parties while others hold senior positions in teachers’ organizations aligned with political parties. They have even been seen participating in various party programs and meetings of teachers’ organizations.

This situation has been observed among vice chancellors and pro vice chancellors at several institutions, including the University of Dhaka, University of Chittagong, Jahangirnagar University, Comilla University, Islamic University, Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University and Shahjalal University of Science and Technology. Some of them remain involved in activities associated with their political affiliations while holding party positions.

According to educationists, although there is no clear legal obligation requiring them to resign from party positions, neutrality and ethics are important considerations when serving as guardians of their universities. From that perspective, stepping down from such positions would be preferable.

University of Dhaka Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. A.B.M. Obaidul Islam is the education affairs secretary of the BNP National Executive Committee. After assuming office as vice chancellor, he submitted his resignation from the University Teachers Association of Bangladesh (UTAB), an organization of BNP aligned teachers. However, his resignation has reportedly not yet been accepted. No one has been appointed to replace him in the organization.

He was included as president in a committee signed by BNP Assistant Office Secretary Md. Munir Hossain. Meanwhile, he has been seen sitting in the second or third row at various BNP programs. This has also drawn criticism on social media.

The same university’s Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic) Professor Abdus Salam is the joint convener of the White Panel, a BNP aligned teachers’ organization. He is also regularly seen attending its meetings. Pro Vice Chancellor (Administration) Professor Almozaddeedee Alfesani has also been seen participating in White Panel meetings.

Their involvement extends beyond positions in teachers’ organizations. Both pro vice chancellors are also members of the Nationalist Unity Council committee formed for the election of registered graduate representatives to the University of Dhaka Senate.

The committee was signed by BNP Assistant Office Secretary Muhammad Munir Hossain. Its convener is Water Resources Minister Shahid Uddin Chowdhury Anee, while University of Dhaka Syndicate member Md. Morshed Hasan Khan serves as member secretary. Professor Abdus Salam and Professor Almozaddeedee Alfesani occupy the second and third positions on the list of members, respectively. BNP International Affairs Secretary Barrister Nasir Uddin Ahmed Asim is listed as the first member.

Information has also emerged about teachers holding important positions in partisan organizations while serving in senior administrative roles at other universities.

University of Chittagong Vice Chancellor Dr. Mohammad Al Forkan is the senior vice president of the Nationalist Teachers’ Forum. Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic) Dr. Mohammad Al Amin of the same university serves as the organization’s president.

On September 26, Professor Md. Lutfor Rahman of the University of Dhaka’s Department of Statistics was appointed vice chancellor of Dhaka Central University. He is a vice president of UTAB and also serves as a director of the Ziaur Rahman Foundation. Before this, he was the convener of the White Panel at the University of Dhaka.

Comilla University Vice Chancellor Professor M. M. Shariful Karim serves as a vice president of UTAB’s central committee. Jahangirnagar University Vice Chancellor Professor Nurul Islam is UTAB’s organizing secretary. At the same university, Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic) Professor Md. Shamsul Alam is the president of the Nationalist Teachers’ Forum, while Pro Vice Chancellor (Administration) Professor Muhammad Nazrul Islam serves as the organization’s organizing secretary.

Islamic University Vice Chancellor Professor A.K.M. Matinur Rahman is the founding convener of the White Panel, the university’s BNP aligned teachers’ organization. He is also a vice president of UTAB’s central committee. Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Dr. Emtaz Hossain serves as the central secretary general of the Zia Parishad.

Hajee Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University Pro Vice Chancellor Professor Md. Nawsher Wan is the convener of the Zia Parishad’s Fulbari upazila unit and the general secretary of its university unit. He also serves as the information technology secretary of UTAB’s central committee and senior vice president of its university unit. He also purchased a BNP nomination form for the Dinajpur 5 constituency in the last national election.

At Shahjalal University of Science and Technology in Sylhet, Vice Chancellor Professor Khairul Islam serves as the general secretary of UTAB’s university unit.

Asked about retaining his party position, University of Dhaka Vice Chancellor Professor Obaidul Islam told Agamir Somoy, “I am serving as the education affairs secretary of the BNP. That is a BNP position. When I sit in the vice chancellor’s chair, I am the vice chancellor. At that point, the party position does not matter. It does not create any obstacle to carrying out my responsibilities in this position.”

Asked whether political affiliations influence how teachers and students with different political views are treated, he said, “No, this never has any influence. When I sit in the vice chancellor’s chair, I am the vice chancellor for everyone. I do not consider who belongs to which political party or holds which political views. I consider the responsibility of vice chancellor not a position of power but a trust.”

Dhaka Central University Vice Chancellor Professor Md. Lutfor Rahman told Agamir Somoy, “It is possible to work while holding a position in a professional organization. It does not have that kind of influence. Many people continue to perform party responsibilities while holding major positions in the state. This does not become a major problem.”

However, educationists disagree with this view. They argue that vice chancellors and pro vice chancellors are not representatives of teachers and students who share a particular political ideology. Rather, they are guardians of all sides of the university community. Their political identities and organizational activities may therefore create a perception of bias among others. This could raise questions about the administrative neutrality of universities and damage their institutional reputations.

A senior professor at the University of Dhaka told Agamir Somoy, “Those who serve as guardians of a university, including vice chancellors and pro vice chancellors, should not hold any party position. We have not seen anyone holding such positions in the past. If we consider former vice chancellors Professor Akhtaruzzaman and Professor Maksud Kamal from the recent past, they did not hold party positions. They also did not participate in meetings of partisan teachers’ organizations at the university.”

He added, “Former Pro Vice Chancellor (Academic) Professor Sitesh Chandra Bachar was the convener of the Blue Panel before taking office. After assuming the position, he stepped down from that role. This is how it should be for someone serving as the guardian of everyone at a university. Otherwise, questions remain.”

Rasheda K. Chowdhury, executive director of the Campaign for Popular Education and a former adviser to the caretaker government, told Agamir Somoy, “No one can be deprived of the right to participate in politics. I also have the right to be involved in the politics of any political party. However, party politics and working for everyone while holding a position in an institution are not the same thing.”

According to her, anyone holding a position of responsibility in an institution is the guardian of everyone there, including teachers, students and parents. No political party should be given preference, nor should partisan opinions receive priority. A vice chancellor is not only the guardian of an institution but also a source of trust for thousands of students and their parents. If the vice chancellor works on behalf of one side, the university’s reputation will be damaged.

Professor Dr. Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan of the Department of International Relations at the University of Dhaka said, “There is no clarity on this matter from a legal standpoint. However, from an ethical standpoint, they should at least not retain party positions after taking office. This creates a great deal of controversy.”

According to him, the problem is that individuals become vice chancellors or pro vice chancellors precisely because of their political identities. In such circumstances, resigning from their party positions is also difficult. Although this culture should change, unfortunately, it has not.