failing to move to own campuses
Action against private varsities after June 30
In a shift from its earlier stand, the government now says that it will take action against private universities that failed to move to permanent campuses after getting the report of a new committee. At a convocation of Independent University on February 12 and at another convocation of Daffodil International University on February 22, education minister Nurul Islam Nahid had said that the government would take legal action, including stopping of admission of new students, against the 39 private universities that did not move to permanent campuses by January 31 this year.
But the minister said yesterday that they held a meeting with the chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), Prof Abdul Mannan. It was decided to form a committee to oversee problems of the universities, such as not shifting to new campuses and not having vice-chancellors, pro-vice-chancellors and treasurers.
The four-member committee, headed by UGC member Prof. Md Akhtar Hossain, would submit its report by June 30 and the government would take action accordingly.
The other members of the committee are UGC member Prof. M Shah Nowaz Ali, additional secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the education ministry, Abdullah Al Hasan Chowdhury, and UGC deputy director Jesmin Parvin.
The education ministry and the UGC yesterday held a meeting at the UGC auditorium to take steps against the private universities that did not move to their permanent campuses.
Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid, education secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division (SHED), additional secretary of the SHED, Abdullah Al Hasan Chowdhury, deputy secretary of the SHED, Zinnat Rehana, UGC chairman Prof. Abdul Mannan and others were also present.
Later, Nahid told reporters: Our purpose is not to shut down these universities. We want them to carry on their activities as per rules and regulations. We extended the deadline to shift several times. Twelve universities have already been shifted. Some universities have bought lands, while others have not. Five universities have conflicts in the board of trustees. We could not understand the motive of the universities that have not bought lands. We have our children in the universities. If we shut them down, the students will suffer. We want to identify the problems. We want to put pressure on the authorities of the universities and take them forward.
He also said that a high-powered committee has been formed with members of the UGC. It would submit its report by June 30 after identifying the problems so that they can be addressed.
The minister also said that around 56 private universities did not have VC, Pro-VC or Treasurer. These universities were supposed to propose names of three persons for each post, but they have put forward one name only. This committee will scrutinise the matter because a university cannot run without qualified persons. We will not allow it, he added.
Only 12 private universities out of 51 have been able to shift to permanent campuses after 24 years of their establishment. As per law, it has to be done within seven years. Some of the universities have partially started construction work on their own land and were carrying out academic activities of different departments in tin-shed structures.
A number of universities are carrying out piling work, while others are making roofs. Some have bought lands, but could not start construction work, while some have not bought the specific area of land as per law. A few are carrying out their activities on lands belonging to the foundation and some universities are carrying out their activities on different campuses. As per law, the land of the university is supposed to be trouble-free, undivided and a free holding, but some of the universities are not following the rule. Presidency University in the capital did not buy any land, while Premier University in Chittagong, Sylhet International University and IBAIS University have conflicts among the board of trustees and cases are going on in courts. The UGC chairman said: When steps are taken against the irregularities of universities, their authorities start taking action to address the problems.
