A number of teachersof Comilla University Teachers Association announced a counter election commission, alleging arbitrariness and violation of the constitution, three days after the executive committeehad formedaCommission in Executive Council-2021 election.
The commission was introduced on Thursday evening by a press release, signed by the executive council-2020 vice president Amdadul Hoque and General Secretary Swapan Chandra Majumder.
Meanwhile, the executive body has protested the lately commission in a press release, signed by eight out of 15 executive members, claiming that the Election Commission formed on November 30 is the only legitimate commission.
The release also reads, according to the constitution,the executive committee formed the election commission on November 30 based on the opinions of all the teachers of the general meeting. It also declared the Election Commission of December 3 illegal.
In a meeting of the executive council of the teachers’ association on November 30, on the basis of majority, the committee made Chemistry Department Professor A.K.M. Royhan Uddin the Chief Election Commissioner and English Department Assistant Professor NakibunNabi and Management Department Assistant Professor Md. Siddiqur Rahman the election commissionersin the executive council-2021 election.
The Commission announced the election schedule on December 2.
Meanwhile on Thursday, a part of the association sent a press release to the mediaannouncing a counter election commission headingAnthropology Department Associate Professor Mohammad Ainul Haque as the Chief Election Commissioner and Pharmacy Department Assistant Professor Enamul Haque and Chemistry Department Assistant Professor Md Julhas Uddin as the election commissioners.
Both the Election Commissionsannounced the election tobe held on December 13 at the same place teachers’ lounge.
Swapan Chandra Majumder, general secretary of the current executive committee, who leads a group of the teachers said,‘according to constitution, general secretary calls the meetingwith the presidents’ permission. But here, the president called the meeting himself. It is unconstitutional. Nonetheless, the meeting was called one hour apart as most of the committee members couldn’t be appeared.’
Asked why you formed the commission after the stipulated time November 30, the last day of forming election commission according to the constitution, he said that they were waiting for theFederation of Bangladesh University Teachers Association’s meetingon December 1.
On December 1st, FBUTA requested all the members in a press releasenot to hold the elections in the pandemic crisis.
However, Rashidul Islam Sheikh, president of the teachers’ association said,‘according to Article 10 (B) of the constitution of the teachers’ association, the election commission has to be formed between November 15 to 30. They illegally formed another commission on December 3 ignoring the already formed commission on November 30.’
Besides, according to the constitution, in case of calling a meeting, presidents’ permission must be taken. They did not take it. The press release pad they used is also not approved, he added.
Asked whether a meeting could be called within an hour, he said, ‘It was said in the previous day’s meeting held on November 29 that the commission should be formed within November 30just after the general meeting as the constitution said that November 30 was the last day for the formation of the commission.’
Meanwhile, some teachers have expressed theirdeplores that the formation of a reciprocal election commission of the teachers’ association is embarrassing for the teachers. They are also undecided on who will vote and where if the election is held on the same day.
Besides, they are fearing an unpleasant situation as both the commission scheduled the election to be held in the same place and same time.
The university ice chancellor Professor Emran Kabir Chowdhury said, “Such a stemmed situation is not desirable in any way. Both sides should call a general meeting and reach a decision based on the views of all the teachers. It will be good for everyone.
CoU Correspondents
