ফাইল ছবি
Pabna University of Science and Technology (PUST) started its academic journey in 2009. During these 16 years, 12 teachers have not returned to the university after taking study leave for higher education. They owe almost 50 lacs taka to the university administration.
According to the PUST study leave rule, a teacher can apply for study leave after two years of joining the university. Therefore, a teacher can get leave for a maximum of one year. A teacher can take a maximum of three times leave with pay to pursue Masters/MPhil degree. On the other hand, a teacher who aims for PhD can take leave for a maximum of five years with pay. After that, a teacher can take leave for two more years but will not get any salary during these two years. At the end of seven years, he/she has to return to work, otherwise he/she will lose his/her job.
According to the information of the establishment section and scholarship section of the university registrar's office, currently, the number of teachers in PUST is 192. Among them, 55 people are on study leave abroad, and two people are in Bangladesh. Among the 57 teachers, three have already completed their five-years leave, whose pay and allowances are currently withheld. Among them, there is one teacher of Electrical Electronic and Communication Engineering (EECE) department, one teacher of Statistics department and one teacher of the English department.
Moreover, from the beginning of the university, 12 teachers have not returned to work after taking study leave. Many of them have completed seven years of leave, many have resigned from the job before the end of the study leave. Among them, two from Computer Science and Engineering (CSE) department, three from Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) department, one from Electrical, Electronic and Communication Engineering (EECE) department, one from Information and Communication Engineering (ICE) department, one from Physics department, three from civil engineering department and one is from English department. Out of 12 teachers, six have gone to America, five to Australia and one to Japan for higher education.
Students say that their academic life is disrupted when a teacher goes abroad for higher education. At the same time, the teachers say that not joining the workplace on study leave is an irreparable loss for the university.
Galib Hasan, a former member of the university regent board and assistant professor of the Electrical and Electronic Engineering (EEE) department, said, ‘Those who leave university forever taking study leave, cause big loss to the university. On the contrary, those who get study leave on our recommendation to enhance their experience, the situation reversed for them. When a teacher does not return to the university we have to face a lot of trouble to re-appoint that position for.’
The registrar of the university, Bijon Kumar Brahma said, ‘We have nothing to do about the fact that they are going on study leave and not returning. It’s their choice and their decision only. But we send them notices to return when their scheduled leave is over. Many return, but many do not. Those who do not return, and also in debt to the university administration, are asked to resign their positions.’
Messenger/Shahed
