Bangladesh Agricultural University (BAU) appointed five candidates as assistant professors on Wednesday based on academic excellence and without any political consideration.
The newly appointed faculty members are Dr. Aniruddho Sarkar, Assistant Professor, Interdisciplinary Institute for Food Security; Dr. Masud Rana, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Economics; Dr. Shariful Islam, Assistant Professor, Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics; Dr. Lamiur Rayhan, Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural Extension Education; Md Saiful Islam Saif, Assistant Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Vice-Chancellor Dr. A K Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan said, “This is not just the appointment of five individuals, it is a moral victory for BAU. As someone who also topped his class during his student days, I deeply understand the value of merit. Many deserving candidates were denied opportunities over the past 14 years because of their faith, ideology, or political leanings. We have tried to correct at least part of that injustice.”
He added, “I hope this initiative becomes a model for other universities across the country. A nation can only move forward when talent and honesty are recognised and honoured.”
Dr. Aniruddho Sarkar said, “Despite securing 5th place in my honours and standing first in my master’s in 2011, I was denied teaching positions twice due to my affiliation with the Jatiyatabadi Chhatra Dal (JCD). I was even rejected from four government jobs during NSI verification because of my political identity.”
Dr. Masud Rana, a gold medallist, echoed a similar experience. “Though I stood 3rd in my honours batch and received the Chancellor’s Gold Medal, I was bypassed twice in the recruitment process. Candidates with lower qualifications were selected based on political loyalty.”
In 2012, during the university’s 298th Syndicate meeting, several controversial appointments were made, allegedly favouring politically connected candidates over more qualified applicants. These decisions had cast a long shadow over the university’s reputation.
However, the current administration has sought to reverse that trend. This round of recruitment, university officials confirmed, prioritised academic qualifications, achievements, and merit alone.
AUZ/NSA
