The forum made the demand in a press statement issued on Tuesday (September 17).
In the press statement, the organisation's Vice-President Professor Dr. Mohammad Saiful Islam and Joint General Secretary Professor Dr. Mohammad Jahangir Alam said that SUST is the result of the long-cherished struggle and demand of the people of the Sylhet region, established over three decades ago.
Right from its very inception, the university has played a vital role in developing higher education both in Sylhet region and the country as a whole. While many teachers retired after full careers in the university, besides more than five hundred teachers at payroll in different levels, no one who has served the entire career at SUST has ever been appointed to the post of Vice-Chancellor.
The statement further stated that appointments of teachers from other universities as VC amount to a form of discrimination against the abilities and dignity of teachers of the university itself. The appointment of teachers from any other institution as VC often resulted in severe disruption in the normal working of the University at various points on account of incomplete adjustment with the institution.
The statement also said that following the victory of the anti-discrimination movement, all the supporters of fascism in all universities including SUST were compelled to show their resignation letters. While essential positions including that of VC were filled in many other varsities for smooth continuation of educational activities, no such appointment is made at SUST as yet. The Nationalist Teachers' Forum of SUST thus strenuously demands that a person with integrity, competence, anti-discrimination beliefs, and a supporter of past student movements should be appointed as the next VC from among the current teachers of SUST, against whom there should be no controversy regarding past activities, and who is not hostile to any teacher or student on the basis of their political affiliations.
The forum called upon the relevant authorities of the government to consider the overall situation at SUST and to appoint the VC and other important positions from amongst the teachers of the university without any further delay. Earlier, it was mentioned that the appointment of anyone from outside SUST would neither be desirable, nor acceptable.
