Jamaat Labels District Chiefs ‘Professors’ Despite Their Ranks as Lecturers and Assistant Professors

The main opposition party Jamaat-e-Islami has elected new emirs of a total of 77 organizational districts and metropolitan cities in the country.

The election results were announced on Wednesday, November 4. The list of these emirs who have been given the responsibility of managing the ‘buildings’ of the respective districts and metropolises for the 2027-28 session includes 16 ‘professors’ and ‘principals’. Among them, the ‘professors’ teach in private educational institutions, where there is no position above assistant professor. And one ‘principal’ has also been found in Dakhil Madrasa.

After verifying the list given to the media after the district ameer election, it was found that the title ‘Professor’ was used before the names of 11 people on this list. And the title ‘Principal’ was used in the names of 5 more people.

The district emirs in the list who use the title ‘Professor’ are: Md. Iqbal Hossain of Panchagarh, Azizur Rahman Sarkar of Kurigram, Nazrul Islam of Pabna, Abdul Khalek of Rajshahi, Md. Golam Rasul of Jessore, Sayeed Ahmad of Magura, Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman of Khulna Metropolitan City, Shahid Islam of Satkhira, Rezaul Karim of Gopalganj, Md. Abdul Matin of Comilla North and Mohammad Abdul Alim of Rangamati.

The principals are Abdus Sattar of Nilphamari, Khandaker AKM Ali Mohsin of Kushtia, Kabirul Islam of Khulna, Zahir Uddin Muhammad Babar of Barisal Metropolitan City, and Nur Ahmed Anwari of Cox’s Bazar.

Some of the professors are assistant professors, some are lecturers.

A search of the list revealed that 8 of the 11 district amirs who were identified as professors were actually assistant professors. Of the remaining 2, 1 are lecturers and no specific information was found about where or how the other one teaches.

Among them are Panchagarh District Jamaat Ameer Professor Md. Iqbal Hossain, Islamic Studies Department of the District Barrister Jamir Uddin Sarkar (Degree) Institute, Jessore District Ameer and Member of Parliament Professor Md. Golam Rasul, Islamic Studies Department of Hamidpur Al Hera College, Khulna Metropolitan Ameer Professor Mohammad Mahfuzur Rahman, Science Department of Khulna Siddiquia Kamil Madrasa, and Rangamati Professor Mohammad Abdul Alim Al Amin, Assistant Professor of Political Science Department of Islamia Fazil (Degree) Madrasa.

Gopalganj District Ameer Professor Rezaul Karim retired from the Islamic Studies Department of Rajpat Degree College in Kashiani Upazila and Comilla North District Ameer Md. Abdul Matin retired from the Accounting Department of Sahebabad Degree College in Brahmanpara after completing his career.

Rajshahi District Ameer Professor Abdul Khalek is a current professor at Matikata Adarsh ​​Degree College in Godagari Upazila, and Satkhira District Ameer Professor Shahidul Islam is a former assistant professor at Satkhira City College.

The highest rank in MPO colleges is Assistant Professor. There are no Associate Professor or Professor posts here. Even after 18 years of experience, there is an opportunity to become Principal or Vice-Principal, but they remain Assistant Professors. As a result, if you are an Assistant Professor or Lecturer, you do not have the opportunity to use the Professor position. But some use it from a personal position. There is also criticism – the Principal of a concerned college

Meanwhile, Kurigram District Amir Azizur Rahman Sarkar is the former principal (acting) of Bhurungamari Degree College. At the same time, he also served as the chairman of the accounting department. The institution is currently a government institution. Azizur Rahman Sarkar has retired from the post of lecturer in his long teaching career. Pabna District Amir ‘Professor’ Nazrul Islam also taught as a lecturer in an MPO-affiliated college until 2020. His name was not found in the teacher information portal of the Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (Banbase) after 2020. The institution, named Talimul Islam Academy and College, is located in Joypurhat. According to the information, Nazrul Islam was first a lecturer in the department of secretarial studies and later in the department of political science in the institution.

No information was found about Magura District Ameer Sayeed Ahmad. Incidentally, it is worth mentioning that Jamaat Secretary General Mia Golam Parwar also used the title ‘Professor’ before his name. It was found that he once taught at Khulna Islamia College. However, he did not become an assistant professor. He worked as a lecturer for 2 years.

Until one of the principals entered the madrasa

Among the five principals, one is the principal of Kamil and two are the principals of Alim Madrasa. Another is the ‘principal’ of Dakhil Madrasa. The identity of the institution of the other one has not been found. He is Kushtia District Amir Khandaker AKM Ali Mohsin. Among the other four, Nilphamari District Amir and Member of Parliament Abdus Sattar is the principal of Dimla Kamil Madrasa, Khulna District Amir Kabirul Islam is the principal of Atlia Siddiquia Alim Madrasa and Cox’s Bazar District Amir Noor Ahmed Anwari is the principal of Hnila Shah Majidiya Islamia Alim Madrasa.

I was supposed to be an assistant professor. But because of this black law, we couldn’t even become an assistant professor. I won’t say it’s a coincidence, it happened because of this heinous black law. And I have served for 33 years, our direct students have become professors, college principals. Now if someone writes me as a professor, is it a big injustice? Has the Mahabharata become impure? This is not a matter of that kind of legal level. It probably doesn’t even fall under the category of crime – Azizur Rahman Sarkar, Kurigram District Jamaat Ameer

Barisal Metropolitan Amir Zahir Uddin Muhammad Babar is known to be the ‘principal’ of Al-Farooq Alia Madrasa. However, the institution teaches from kindergarten to Dakhil 10th grade. Although there is no ‘principal’ post in the madrasa up to Dakhil. The title of superintendent is used for the head of this institution. It was found that this institution, run by Al-Farooq Society, was started in 1980 under the name ‘Al-Farooq Academy’. Last year, it was named ‘Al-Farooq Alia Madrasa’.

Says there is no ‘objection’ to the law

According to the Ministry of Education’s ‘MPO Policy and Manpower Structure’, although there are ‘lecturer’ and ‘assistant professor’ posts in private degree or honors colleges, the full ‘professor’ post is usually not there. There is also no rule to use the full professor title in official or legal documents. Many people use the professor title socially. Although this has been going on for a long time, there has been no precedent of any legal obligation or ban.

However, those concerned with education consider the matter unethical. The principal of a college where a district amir is an assistant professor said on condition of anonymity that the highest position in MPO-affiliated colleges is assistant professor. There are no associate professor or professor posts here. Even after 18 years of experience, there is an opportunity to become principal or vice-principal, but they remain assistant professors. As a result, if you are an assistant professor or lecturer, you do not have the opportunity to use the professor position. But some use it from a personal position. There is also criticism.

When a call was made to Jessore District Amir and MP Golam Rasul’s Airtel number (ending in 724) to discuss these issues, the number was found to be disconnected. Gopalganj District Amir Professor Rezaul Karim did not receive the call.

Abdul Khalek, Rajshahi District Amir and Assistant Professor at Matikata Adarsh ​​Degree College in Godagari, said, “When I write my address, I write Assistant Professor. I never use the word ‘Professor’. People write it down. It is just said orally or it has become known through publicity. If I don’t write Professor with my name, people won’t be able to recognize me, what else.”

He said, “There is still no ‘professor’ or ‘associate professor’ post in MPO-affiliated colleges. But it is being used. However, when we go to the legal side, like if someone stands for election, then that cannot be written.”

Kurigram District Amir and former Principal (Acting) of Bhurungamari Degree College, Azizur Rahman Sarkar said, “I was in the college for about 33 years, I served as Vice Principal. But I personally never use the word professor. Usually people write this word professor. It has become a habit in Bangladesh. It may have been used in this sense.

When I write my address, I write Assistant Professor. I never use the word ‘Professor’. People write it down. It is just said orally or it has become known through publicity. If I don’t write Professor with my name, people won’t be able to recognize me, what else is this? – Abdul Khalek, Rajshahi District Jamaat Ameer

Azizur Rahman Sarkar also expressed regret that he had been discriminated against in his career. He said, “It is very unfortunate that we were already deprived due to political reasons, and when we reached the final stage of being a lecturer, the government announced the nationalization of some colleges in 2016, including Bhurungamari College. At that time, our job went to a government college, due to which we could no longer become assistant professors at that time. In the end, I retired from the position of lecturer.”

He further said, I was supposed to be an assistant professor. But because of this black law, we could not even become assistant professors. I will not say it is a coincidence, this happened because of the heinous black law. And I have served for 33 years, our direct students have become professors, college principals. If someone now writes me as a professor, is it a big injustice? Has the Mahabharata become impure? This is not a matter of that kind of legal level. It probably does not even fall under the category of crime.

When contacted to talk about the overall issue, Advocate Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair, Central Assistant Secretary General of Jamaat-e-Islami and Secretary of the Central Propaganda and Media Department, said that there is an official criterion for becoming a professor. But traditionally, those who teach write professor; it is written in this sense as they teach. In response to the question of whether this is the use of a ‘fake title’, Ehsanul Mahbub Zubair said, it is not fake. Teaching refers to teaching.

When asked about the ‘principal’ of Dakhil Madrasa, he said, “In addition to colleges, the title of principal is also used in various secondary and lower secondary institutions. He is in one such institution. There are many others like him.”

The Daily Campus