United News of Bangladesh

A Sylhet court has issued arrest warrants against 58 people, including former Vice-Chancellor and Acting Registrar of Sylhet Medical University (SMU), in a case filed by Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over allegations of irregularities and abuse of power in staff recruitment. Judge of Sylhet Metropolitan Senior Special Court Rokonuzzaman passed the order after accepting chargesheets against the accused on Thursday afternoon, said court official Kripasindhu Das at night. The ACC submitted the chargesheet on April 20, accusing former VC Dr. Morshed Ahmed Chowdhury and Acting Registrar Md. Noimul Haque Chowdhury of illegally appointing and promoting individuals without adhering to required qualifications, age limits, or institutional approval. According to the charge sheet, between 2019 and 2023, the university recruited 220 staff on ad hoc basis, bypassing University Grants Commission (UGC) and syndicate approval. In many cases, appointments were renewed multiple times violating the 2018 University Act, which allows only a six-month extension. The ACC found that 46 appointees lacked age eligibility, 18 had no relevant work experience, and several had academic deficiencies—including four with third-division results and two without required degrees. Despite being hired temporarily, some were illegally promoted to higher salary grades. 2 excavators disabled, 4 trucks seized in Feni for illegal soil extraction Moreover, the university created 141 unauthorized posts beyond the 112 approved by the UGC, and salaries were paid using funds from the Health Ministry's development budget without necessary approvals. The irregularities came to light through a UGC investigation conducted in 2023. Based on their findings, the ACC filed a case against the accused on April 1, 2024, at its Sylhet Integrated District Office. The accused list includes administrative staff and faculty members such as Fahima Khanam Chowdhury, Anjan Debnath, Maidul Islam Chowdhury, and others. The ACC alleged that the recruitment practices were not only unlawful but also resulted in significant misuse of public funds and positions of authority.    

The proposal to change the name of the newly established Sylhet Medical University to 'Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib Medical University', after the wife of Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman has been approved. Based on the application on November 28, Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Trust approved it on Thursday. Earlier, Habibur Rahman Habib, MP for Sylhet-3 constituency, proposed to change the name of Sylhet Medical University to Bangamata Sheikh Fazilatunnesa Mujib in the parliament on September 16. On Oct 25, SMU vice-chancellor Morshed Ahmed Chowdhury also placed a proposal to rename the university in its third syndicate meeting and the syndicate members of the medical university gave their consent to the proposal. SMU VC Morshed Ahmed Chowdhury thanked the trust's president Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for giving this approval. He also extended his thankfulness to Foreign Minister Abdul Momen and Sylhet-3 constituency MP Habibur Rahman Habib.