In an interview with Dhaka Tribune on Wednesday, Prof Niaz said that since his appointment as VC, he has been holding regular meetings with teachers and administrative officers to expedite the resumption process of academic activities of the university.

Reason for Closure
Prof Niaz said the chief cause of the delay in restoring classes is the non-availability of the syndicate members. "The syndicate members shut the educational activities. The outgoing VC ASM Maksud Kamal did not suspend classes. If the closure of the university had taken place owing to an executive order, I could exercise my power as Vice-Chancellor and annul the closure to open the university," he added.

The academic activities at Dhaka University were suspended in July by its syndicate after a meeting amidst the student movement demanding quota reform in public services. The syndicate called the university closed until further notice, invoking Article 24(1) of the Dhaka University Ordinance 1973 to ensure the safety of students for maintaining an appropriate atmosphere at the university.

But to reopen the university, another syndicate meeting is needed, which is impossible at the moment because many syndicate members are not available.
Politically Appointed Syndicate Members Unavailable
Most of the members of the syndicate were politically appointed and belonged to the then-ruling Awami League government. Many of them went into hiding after the fall of Sheikh Hasina and thereby complicated the situation. "Syndicate is a big deal here. Many syndicate members are now unavailable," said Professor Niaz.

"They remain on paper members of the syndicate because they never resigned, something that complicates matters. This is a case that requires the assistance of the government. The process is long, but this interim government has been working reasonably well so far, which should speed up the process of reformation," he explained.

Administrative Restructuring and Student Movements
Recently, the interim government appointed 11 new provosts and eight deans to revive the administrative processes of the university. All major administrative and academic functions of DU had been severely disrupted since a mass uprising led to the resignation of most hall provosts and deans.

The DU has kept academic activities closed since July 1, following a decision by the Dhaka University Teachers' Association to suspend classes and examinations in all departments. The move was part of a greater movement to demonstrate demands for the withdrawal of the universal pension scheme "Prottoy" issued under the former government's Finance Ministry.

DU students took part in the anti-discriminatory movement in large number and finally the former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was removed. New interim government of Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus started office on August 8 and new VCs and Pro-VCs have already been appointed at the Dhaka University.

Waiting for Reopening
Students and teachers of Dhaka University are now waiting eagerly to go back to the classroom with the new administration working for restoring normalcy at the country's largest public university.