University teachers and education cadre clash again
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Prior to and following the establishment of Dhaka Central University, public university faculty members and teachers belonging to the education cadre have been embroiled in conflicts over various issues. Now, another dispute has come to the fore, stemming from recent remarks made by the university's Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Md. Nurul Islam.
Recently, he said, "BCS Education Cadre officers do not possess the mindset and research capabilities required for teaching at the universities." He also raised questions regarding the framework for incorporating teachers from seven affiliated colleges into the university. His comments have seemingly "poured oil on the fire."
The BCS General Education Cadre Association has expressed outrage over the Vice-Chancellor's remarks and has demanded his resignation. The organization alleges that since assuming the role of VC five months ago, Dr. Md. Nurul Islam has repeatedly made negative comments about the qualifications and postings of education cadre officers. They also claim he has taken initiatives to remove education cadre officers from the university.
In one part of his statement, the Vice-Chancellor referred to the seven colleges as a "nursing home for affiliated teachers" and emphasized the need for standards regarding who would teach students. Education cadre teachers argue, "Teachers in government colleges handle teaching along with examination duties, question setting, answer script evaluation, admissions, and various administrative responsibilities. Due to teacher shortages and an overwhelming number of students, many colleges must manage educational activities across multiple levels with limited staff. Therefore, it is not logical to evaluate them solely based on university-level research standards."
Regarding this matter, Professor I.K. Selim Ullah Khondaker, former principal of Dhaka College and former president of the association, said: "A large portion of those enrolled in higher education in the country are taught by education cadre teachers. This cadre comprises 17,000 currently serving teachers, and the majority of its nearly 50,000 retired members are alumni of public universities. The Vice-Chancellor should have been more cautious before making comments about them."
Meanwhile, Dhaka Central University has expressed regret over the Vice-Chancellor's remarks. In a notice, Central University stated: "Confusion has arisen due to the dissemination of fragmented parts of the speech. The Vice-Chancellor's main point was to emphasize enhancing the higher education, training, research, and professional capabilities of the teachers of the seven colleges. There was no intention to disparage teachers of any specific cadre. Nevertheless, if anyone has been hurt by the remarks, the Vice-Chancellor sincerely apologizes." However, the Education Cadre Association is not satisfied with this explanation. The organization stated that while criticism of educational standards can be made, it must be based on facts, logic, evidence, and academic decorum.
Where the conflict began
The conflict between the education cadre and public university teachers became prominent starting in 2017, when the seven colleges were first affiliated with Dhaka University. Thereafter, the dispute escalated over issues concerning the quality of education, academic activities, publication of results, session delays, registration, and administrative coordination at the colleges. This had a direct impact on the students. From 2017 to 2024, students were repeatedly seen taking to the streets over the seven-college issue. Allegations suggest that university teachers or education cadre teachers sometimes provided the impetus behind these protests.
A resolution came after the political shift in 2024, when the seven colleges were separated from Dhaka University and established as an independent university. However, after the establishment of that university, the government found itself in a severe predicament regarding the status, posting, recruitment, and distribution of responsibilities for cadre teachers. Subsequently, it was compelled to undertake structural changes to the university.
Education cadre teachers allege that after Nurul Islam became VC, he repeatedly made sweeping remarks asserting that education cadre officers are unsuitable for teaching at the university. In protest against the VC's remarks, many education cadre officers have taken to social media to highlight their professional qualifications and various aspects of their actual working environment. At the same time, they have announced plans to carry out programs demanding the VC's resignation.
When approached for comment on the overall situation, Vice-Chancellor Dr. Md. Nurul Islam said, "The matter has been clarified in the university's notice."
