RU Professor Facing Financial Probe Appointed Pro-VC of Meherpur University

A professor from Rajshahi University (RU) who remains relieved of all academic and administrative duties over unresolved financial irregularities involving nearly 2.5 million taka has been appointed as the new Pro-Vice Chancellor of Mujibnagar University in Meherpur.

A gazette notification issued on Monday, 27 July, by the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Ministry of Education—signed by Assistant Secretary Sultan Ahmad—confirmed the high-profile executive appointment of Professor Dr Md Ataur Rahman from RU’s Urdu Department. The decision has sparked intense debate within academic circles, as departmental officials confirmed that Dr Rahman remains officially suspended from duties while a syndicate-mandated investigation into his tenure as department chairman continues.

The controversy dates back to February 2024, when Dr Rahman completed his three-year tenure as chairman of the Urdu Department, a role he held from January 2021 to January 2024. According to departmental records, during his presidency, he withdrew a total of 2,489,580 taka across three official department accounts. However, upon handing over his duties on 14 February 2024, he failed to provide any receipts, expense vouchers, or financial accounting for the funds.

Despite receiving six formal letters from the department’s Academic and Planning Committees requesting the missing documentation, Dr Rahman failed to produce the vouchers. Consequently, the matter was escalated to the university administration following resolution meetings held by the departmental Academic and Planning Committees in November 2024.

In response, the Rajshahi University administration issued a formal suspension order on 22 December 2024, signed by then Acting Registrar Professor Dr Iftikharul Alam Masud. The order cited decisions from the 535th Syndicate meeting held earlier that month, which formed a dedicated investigation committee to probe the unaccounted funds. Pending the outcome of the inquiry, Dr Rahman was temporarily relieved of all academic and administrative activities—a status that remains in effect today.

Professor Mohammad Shahidul Islam, the current Chairman of the Urdu Department at RU, confirmed that Dr Rahman has not been reinstated and the inquiry remains active. He noted that while the departmental and planning committees previously recommended administrative action after receiving no vouchers for the withdrawn funds, the appointment to Meherpur rests entirely with higher government authorities.

Rejecting all allegations, Professor Dr Md Ataur Rahman claimed the financial probe and subsequent suspension were part of a politically motivated conspiracy designed to defame him under previous university leadership, dismissing the charges as completely baseless.