The government has given the permission to open six new private universities in different parts of the country, including the capital. With these six, the total number of private universities in the country will stand at 89. Additional Secretary (university) of the Ministry of Education Helal Uddin yesterday said among the new universities, two will be in Dhaka and one each in Chittagong, Khulna, Kustia and Manikganj. The two universities given permission in Dhaka are ‘The International University of Scholar’ at Badda by entrepreneur Prof Mohammad Jamil Habib and the ‘Canadian University of Scholar’ at Tejgaon by Chowdhury Nafiz Sarafat. The joint entrepreneurs of ‘NPI University of Bangladesh’ to be set up in Manikganj are former Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders Shamsur Rahman and Ishaq Ali Khan Panna.
The ‘Norther University of Business and Technology’ will be set up in Khulna by Md Ansar Ali and the ‘University of Creative Technology’ in Chittagong by Muhammad Osman. The entrepreneur of the “Rabindra Moitree University’ in Kushtia is former Dean of Islamic University Jahirul Islam. Helal Uddin said, “Now, the universities have to take permission from the University Grants Commission for opening faculties and departments. The universities have to start the academic activities within three months after completing all activities.” He further said that there are another 110 applications to open private universities in the pipeline, waiting to get government permission. As per the law, a private university should have 25,000 square feet of own building or rented space. Besides, the new universities have to open at least six departments under three faculties.