After 6 Years of Standstill, Rajshahi University Appoints 154 Teachers

Staff Report: PNN

After a long six-year pause, Rajshahi University (RU) has finally completed large-scale teacher recruitment. During the tenure of the recently retired Vice-Chancellor Professor Saleh Hasan Nakeeb, a total of 154 new teachers have been appointed across 34 departments. While this is expected to alleviate the long-standing teacher shortage, questions have arisen regarding the transparency of the recruitment process and political influence.

According to university sources, recruitment had been halted for a long time due to allegations of irregularities in 2020, following which the Ministry of Education issued a ban. Later, after the ban was lifted, the recruitment process resumed under a new policy framework. In February 2025, the first viva board was conducted, and recruitment in various departments progressed in phases.

New appointees have joined departments including History, English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Economics, Law, and Computer Science. The university administration claims that candidates were selected based on written and oral examinations, which were more structured and competitive compared to previous procedures.

However, the recruitment process has not been free of controversy. Allegations have surfaced claiming preferential appointments for individuals following a specific political ideology and instances of nepotism. Protests, press conferences, and hunger strikes have been organized at various times over these issues.

Current Vice-Chancellor Professor Faridul Islam told the media that a significant portion of recently recruited teachers is allegedly associated with a particular political ideology, and the matter requires investigation.

On the other hand, several department heads have denied these allegations, asserting that the recruitment process was transparent and based entirely on merit. They stated that candidates were evaluated through written tests, code-decode evaluation methods, and multiple verification stages.

Former Vice-Chancellor Professor Saleh Hasan Nakeeb also denied the allegations, saying that political considerations did not influence recruitment. He stated that the recruitment aimed to maintain the academic activities of the university and that new policies ensured a transparent process.

Meanwhile, students have expressed satisfaction with the new appointments. They hope that the long-standing shortage of teachers, which had impacted classes and research, will now be significantly alleviated.

Overall, while controversies remain, stakeholders believe this initiative may bring positive changes to the university’s academic environment.