Hundreds of 'illegally' appointed employees have been agitating for the last two days after the authorities in compliance with a court order asked them to refrain from reporting for duty. In a notice on Saturday, the authorities asked all its departments and offices not to assign the 544 employees any work.

Earlier on June 23, a Rajshahi court cancelled the recruitment of 544 employees and termed it illegal following a case filed by lawyer Abu Aslam challenging the recruitment.

The employees also held a rally at Amtala near RU Library.Local units of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and Jamaat-e Islami leaders spoke at the rally and called for a movement against the authorities and those who opposed the recruitment.

The employees besieged the offices of pro vice chancellor and chairman of the recruitment committee on Saturday and demanded confirmation of their services.

RU Pro VC Prof KHM Shahadat Hossain Mondol told The Daily Star that he had heard about the court order but was yet to receive it. "We will appeal to the higher court as we believe the recruitment was legal and essential for the university,"he added.

RU authorities on April 17 appointed 327 third class and 217 fourth class staff on daily basis against 270 vacant posts allegedly without following proper appointment procedure and advertisements. It raised a storm of protest among teachers and students of the university. They went on a series of demonstrations against the recruitment decision and a highly volatile situation prevailed on the campus over the last two months.