The High Court has issued a rule questioning the legality of appointing Abu Abedin Md Kawsar Hassan as the Chairman of the Department of Sculpture at the Faculty of Fine Art, Dhaka University, bypassing established seniority rules. The court questioned why his appointment letter should not be declared illegal and without lawful authority. Simultaneously, the court asked university authorities why Professor Lala Rukh Selim should not be appointed to the leadership post instead.
A High Court bench comprising Justice Sikder Mahmudur Raji and Justice Fatema Anwar issued the rule on Thursday, 5 November, following a hearing on a writ petition filed by Professor Lala Rukh Selim. Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua represented the petitioner during the courtroom proceedings. The petition was submitted to challenge the validity of bypassing departmental seniority during the appointment process of the new department head.
In her writ petition, Professor Lala Rukh Selim named several key respondents, including Dhaka University, the Vice-Chancellor, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration), the Acting Registrar, and the newly appointed departmental chairman, AAM Kawsar Hassan. The petitioner, a senior academic within the Department of Sculpture, argued that the university administration disregarded statutory protocols and long-standing academic conventions by overlooking her rightful claim to the chairmanship.
The dispute stems from the conclusion of the previous chairman’s tenure on 29 September. On 15 September, ahead of the term’s expiry, the Departmental Academic Committee convened a meeting to address the upcoming vacancy. The committee formally resolved to send an official letter to the Registrar recommending Professor Lala Rukh Selim for the chairmanship based strictly on seniority principles.
Despite the Academic Committee’s clear recommendation, Dhaka University authorities issued an order on 21 September appointing AAM Kawsar Hassan as the new Chairman of the Department of Sculpture. The appointment officially took effect on 29 September. Overlooking the committee’s decision prompted Professor Selim to seek judicial intervention, bringing the internal administrative practices of the institution under judicial scrutiny.
