A number of teachers recently reported rivalries within the White Panel over political differences between the BNP and Jamaat-e-Islami.

Failure to get nomination has also been a bone of contention for aspirants within the White Panel. Sources said some teachers left out of the race had distanced themselves from the campaign for panel nominees.

However, there have been efforts in both camps to mend the internal differences. Leaders of both panels organised separate Iftar parties during Ramadan to work out their differences.

Prof. Abul Khaer, president of Dhaka University Teachers' Association (DUTA) and leader of the White Panel, admitted to conflicts of interest within his panel.

"We have some problems, but hope to resolve them before the elections," he said during an interview earlier.

"We have taken this year's dean's election very seriously considering our government's national politics," Prof. Khaer said, adding that they were making serious efforts to win deans' posts in all seven faculties.

Blue Panel leaders were also busy trying to resolve their differences mainly between the pro-Noakhali and its rival factions, and also held an Iftar party during Ramadan to that effect.

Prof. Khondoker Bazlul Haque of the Blue Panel told The Daily Star that panel members have minimised their differences and that election prospects of the Blue Panel are good this year. He added that his panel is hopeful of bagging the votes of a large number of teachers who are not politically aligned.

Teachers of the White Panel who are frustrated due to various internal differences might oppose their own candidates in at least four faculties. Discord between pro-BNP and pro-Jamaat teachers may also take a toll on the election results of the White Panel, sources said.

On the other hand, the pro-Noakhali faction within the Blue Panel might oppose candidates of the rival faction in at least four faculties.

Another panel of 'left-leaning' teachers, the Pink Panel, has been working together with the Blue Panel to foil the White Panel's bid to capture all posts, sources said.

Contestants from the White Panel are professors Sadrul Amin, Tazmery S Islam, Abu Ahmed, Sayyed Salehin Kadri, Sirajul Islam, Abdur Rashid and Dr Nayeema Haque. The Blue Panel candidates are professors Sharif Ullah Bhuiyan, RIM Aminur Rashid, Mizanur Rahman, Harunur Rashid, Shaheed Akther Hossain, Mizanur Rahman and ABM Farook.

DU Treasurer Prof. Syed Rashidul Hasan will conduct the election to be held at the TSC (Teacher and Student Centre) from 9:00am to 1:00pm today.

Elections to the DUTA and the DU syndicate will be held at the end of this month and in the middle of January next year.