Teachers at the University of Barishal have declared a campus-wide shutdown on the 18th day of an ongoing non-cooperation movement demanding promotions for 60 faculty members.
The shutdown was announced Sunday through a press release issued by the protesting teachers, who also declared Vice-Chancellor Professor Dr. Mohammad Toufiq Alam unwanted on campus.
As part of the protest, two faculty members resigned from their administrative posts.
The development has further paralyzed academic and administrative activities at the university, with students warning of potential session backlogs as final exams, midterms, and regular classes remain underway.
According to the teachers, a tripartite meeting was held on April 30 to resolve the promotion dispute. They were reportedly assured that promotions would be granted in line with the university’s existing laws, policies, and practices.
Following the meeting, teachers temporarily returned to classes, issuing a five-day ultimatum for a resolution.
However, the faculty members allege that the 94th syndicate meeting held on May 8 failed to address their demands. They claim the vice-chancellor ignored the opinions of most syndicate members and imposed his own decision, deepening the institutional crisis.
During a meeting on Sunday, protesting teachers formally announced the shutdown, declared the vice-chancellor persona non grata on campus, and decided to resign from administrative responsibilities.
Acting Proctor and Associate Professor Dr. Md. Rahat Hossain Faisal, who is among those seeking promotion, and Syndicate Member Associate Professor Dr. Mohammad Tanvir Kaiser submitted their resignations as part of the movement.
Students expressed concern over the prolonged stalemate. Several said ongoing examinations and classes are being disrupted, increasing the risk of academic delays. They urged both sides to resolve the issue swiftly.
Dr. Rahat Hossain Faisal said the vice-chancellor had repeatedly ignored what he described as legitimate demands despite multiple appeals from faculty members, leaving them frustrated. Dr. Tanvir Kaiser added that although he supported the teachers’ claims during the syndicate meeting, their demands were overlooked, prompting his resignation.
In response, Vice-Chancellor Dr. Toufiq Alam said the recent syndicate meeting, attended by five teacher representatives, reached a consensus to formulate a unified statute within two months, after which promotions would be granted.
He expressed surprise at the renewed protests and reiterated the administration’s commitment to awarding promotions in accordance with regulations.
The vice-chancellor also said he had not yet received formal resignation letters from the two faculty members, though they had verbally informed him of their decision.
The dispute stems from conflicting guidelines on faculty promotions. While the university initially sought to grant promotions under its 2015 regulations, the University Grants Commission directed it to follow the 2021 unified policy applicable to public universities nationwide.
Although most public universities have adopted the 2021 policy, Barishal University and two others have yet to do so. The administration has maintained that promotions will proceed only after the 2021 policy is approved by the syndicate and cleared by the UGC.
