Accountability Concerns Rise As DU VC Bypasses Syndicate in Tk 6.42cr Contract

Dhaka University's Vice-Chancellor, Chairman of the university Syndicate Prof. Md Akhtaruzzaman, has awarded a contract for the production and supply of furniture, valued at Tk 6,41,66,103, for Jagannath Hall's Rabindra Bhaban, to an 'incompetent company' without convening a meeting with the university Syndicate. 

DU officials told media that the Vice Chancellor abused his authority by scheduling a side-tracking Syndicate meeting.

They said that Vice Chancellor is not allowed to grant work valued at more than Tk 100,000 without the Syndicate's consent.

They claimed that because Rabindra Bhaban's construction was still ongoing, there was no rush to buy furnishings for it.

"The Vice Chancellor can approve any expenditure without calling Syndicate's meeting only in emergency circumstances, according to the financial statutes of the university. But furniture supply does not fall in this category and it could, therefore, wait as the Syndicate meeting was scheduled to be held nine days later," said DU officials. 

According to Jagannath Hall Provost Prof. Mihir Lal Saha, it would not be able to complete construction of Rabindra Bhaban by the planned deadline of June.

The Vice Chancellor issued the assignment on May 21 despite the Syndicate meeting being planned for May 30.

A committee tasked with examining the viability of the businesses who filed tenders discovered that Royal Furniture, which had been chosen to supply the furniture following a recommendation made by the Finance Committee on May 14th, lacked the necessary manufacturing facilities.

Pro-Vice Chancellor (Administration) Prof. Muhammad Samad presided over the Finance Committee meeting where it was suggested that the Prof. Samad has previously informed the media that the furniture supply would be put out to bid.