Five teachers and four officials have resigned from 11 administrative positions at Sylhet Agricultural University (SAU), accusing Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Alimul Islam of corruption.

They submitted their resignation letters to the university registrar on Monday. 

Earlier, the teachers and officials held a human chain in front of the university’s administrative building.

All nine resigned officials are members of the White Panel, an organisation representing a section of pro-BNP teachers at the university.

The resigning officials are Prof Dr Md Kawser Hossain, provost of M A G Osmani Hall; Prof Dr Mohammad Yusuf Mia, provost of Shaheed Zia Hall; Prof Dr Md Nazmul Haque, provost of Hazrat Shahjalal (RA) Hall; Prof Dr Md Jasim Uddin, provost of Hazrat Shahparan (RA) Hall; Prof Dr Md Shahjahan Majumdar, provost of Durre Samad Rahman Hall; Md Bashir Uddin, officer-in-charge of the Dhaka Guest House and deputy registrar; Gazi Md Zahirul Islam, controller of examinations and officer-in-charge of the campus guest house; Mohammad Neyamat Ullah, director of the Department of Physical Education; and Md Ashrafuzzaman, additional registrar.

At the human chain, the teachers alleged that the current vice-chancellor had been involved in irregularities in recruitment and financial corruption. They also accused him of issuing show-cause notices and harassing people arbitrarily.

They alleged that people who did not meet even the minimum qualifications for applying were being appointed as university teachers.

The university’s Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Alimul Islam rejected the allegations as baseless, saying that all those appointed were qualified and that no irregularities or corruption had taken place.

“Teacher recruitment was not my sole decision. The board made the decision,” he said. 

He said those who resigned had been given extensions after completing their initial two-year terms but no longer wanted to continue in their positions.

“They did not want to perform their duties, so they stepped down. Now they are saying they have resigned,” he said.

Referring to those who made the allegations, the vice-chancellor said, “In this age, they are not qualified to be teachers at this university. They became teachers when it (SAU) was a college.”