Allegations of discrepancies in age, certificates and research papers: seven including five teachers sacked at KUET

Photo: Collected

Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) authorities have dismissed five teachers, an officer and an employee following a decision of the university’s 115th syndicate meeting. They faced various allegations including breaches of discipline – irregularities over age at the time of appointment, inconsistencies in experience certificates, research papers that do not exist and violation of university rules. The action was taken after these were investigated. All seven had been under suspension for a long time. The dismissal of seven teachers, officers and employees at once has sparked discussion on the campus.

The teachers who lost their jobs are Prof Dr Pintu Chandra Shil of the Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) department, Prof Dr Subrata Talapatra of the Industrial Engineering and Management (IEM) department, Assistant Professor Nibir Mondal of the ESE department, Prof Dr Masrura Mostafa of the Humanities and Business department and Assistant Professor Shahriar Roman of the same department. Along with them, Deputy Registrar Nimai Chandra Mistry and office assistant Satyajit Kumar Dutta have also lost their jobs.

According to information from various sources, there were several allegations against Prof Dr Pintu Chandra Shil of the CSE department. He was suspended after students lodged a written complaint against him following the 2024 mass uprising. It is alleged that he did not come to the campus regularly while suspended. His name also appears on the websites of two private universities, though it is learnt that he did not have KUET’s permission for this. He was dismissed on the basis of these allegations.

Prof Dr Subrata Talapatra joined KUET as a lecturer on 20 October 2010. Under the university’s recruitment rules, an application for the post of lecturer is not acceptable if the applicant is over 30 years of age. It is alleged that he was over 30 at the time of applying.

Allegations of breaching recruitment rules have also been raised against Prof Dr Masrura Mostafa of the Humanities and Business department. She was over 30 years of age when she applied for the post of lecturer. Sources concerned said her job experience at a private university was counted during her promotion to assistant professor, which is not acceptable under the university’s rules.

The allegations against Assistant Professor Shahriar Roman of the same department centre on his eligibility for appointment and his research papers. The recruitment notice for the post of lecturer required a first class in both honours and master’s; the allegation says he obtained a second class in both degrees. It is claimed that he nevertheless got the job through fraud. It is also alleged that although two research papers published in his name were cited when he applied for the post of assistant professor, they could not be found to exist.

Allegations of recruitment irregularities have also been brought against Assistant Professor Nibir Mondal. It is learnt that at the time of joining he showed experience of working on a project, which is not acceptable under the university’s recruitment rules. It is alleged that while suspended he went abroad with the authorities’ permission but did not return home and rejoin work within the stipulated time. He was dismissed for these reasons.

Deputy Registrar Nimai Chandra Mistry is accused of submitting false and fabricated experience certificates when he was appointed as a section officer at the university. Office assistant Satyajit Kumar Dutta is accused of getting his job by showing a lower age on his national identity card.

According to various sources, Deputy Registrar Nimai Chandra Mistry and teacher Nibir Mondal had filed writ petitions with the High Court after being suspended. The KUET registrar’s office, however, claims otherwise – they did not file writs over the allegations; the writs concerned whether anyone can be kept suspended for more than six months.

KUET Registrar Engineer Md Anisur Rahman Bhuiyan told the media that the seven were dismissed in line with the decision of the 115th syndicate meeting. They had been suspended earlier as there were already allegations against them. After the investigation, many of them were asked for explanations; some gave explanations, some did not. The syndicate meeting unanimously decided to dismiss five teachers, an officer and an employee.

Background

According to a UNB report of 28 November 2024, nine people including a former pro-vice-chancellor of KUET were suspended over allegations of irregularities and corruption in recruitment at a syndicate meeting on 21 November 2024, after the recommendations of a probe committee were considered.

A Banglanews24 report of 9 December 2024 says five teachers were suspended over allegations of irregularities in recruitment and promotion at KUET’s 95th syndicate meeting on 5 December 2024. The sources do not confirm whether those suspended in these two rounds are the same seven who have now been dismissed.

According to a Prothom Alo report of 23 July 2025, more than a hundred people were injured in clashes at KUET on 18 February 2025 centring on a demand to ban student politics; after the movement, the government relieved the vice-chancellor and pro-vice-chancellor of their duties.

Sources

Background sources: UNB, 28 November 2024; Banglanews24, 9 December 2024; Prothom Alo, 23 July 2025