shifting to permanent campuses
Govt to stop admission if pvt varsities fail to meet deadline
The education ministry has so far given four deadlines to private universities since 2012
HARUN UR RASHID
The government has warned private universities having no permanent campuses with stopping their admission process in the next academic year if they fail to shift to their own campuses within the deadline, which the education ministry said, would not be extended further. The education ministry has given four deadlines to these private universities since 2012, asking them to shift to permanent campuses. But most of the universities flouted them all.
Sources in the education ministry said they have written to the universities to move to their permanent campuses within the latest deadline. Or, their admissions would remain suspended until the directives are fulfilled.
But the authorities of the private universities claimed that they need some more time to move to the permanent campuses. Some of them have already submitted applications to the ministry, seeking extra time.
However, education ministry sources said the universities have already been given a lot of time. The universities approach is very slow. So, the ministry would stick to its directive.
Sources in the University Grants Commission (UGC) said they would closely monitor the activities of the private universities in the matter of shifting to a permanent campus. They said if the private universities move to their permanent campuses, it would help students get a better academic environment. This would also reduce the pressure on Dhaka.
UGC sources said the private universities were given the deadline to move to their own campuses for the first time in 2012 after the formulation of the Private University Act, 2010. The second deadline was given in 2013. The third deadline was given until June 2015,
and the last deadline was given in January 2016.
The deadline for shifting to a permanent campus ended on January 31 this year. After that, the education ministry formed a high-powered committee to take action against the universities. After
much deliberation on the issue, the ministry came up with the decision to stop the admissions if the universities did not move to a permanent campus.
The ministry has written to certain universities, asking them to stop the admissions. One of them is Presidency University. The ministry has reminded its authorities that they have not bought land for a permanent campus though they got the permission for the establishment on July 21, 2003. The government has given them time until June 30, 2017 to buy a plot of a certain size. If it fails to do so, all its honours and masters admissions would remain suspended until it buys the land.
The vice-chancellor of Presidency University, Dr Matiur Rahman, said that they have bought land in Tangail for the permanent campus. We bought the land in April. The ministry gave us a deadline to buy the land before June 2017. We have done it and informed the ministry and the UGC, he added.
The Universities of Science and Technology, Chittagong (USTC) and the City University, Dhaka have been directed to shut their illegal outer campuses immediately.
The government has directed the USTC to shut down its outer campus at 63, Gulmeher, Central Road, Dhanmondi, Dhaka, and City University to shut down its outer campus at 13/A, Panthapath, Dhaka to close the illegal campuses, as well as the courses that are being run from there, by September 30, 2017.
If the two universities fail to follow the instructions within the given time, all their programmes on the outer campuses would have to be shut from October 1, 2017. The government has given time to Bangladesh University, Eastern University, Dhaka International University, Daffodil International University, World University of Bangladesh, Prime University, and Southern University of Bangladesh, Chittagong time until December 31, 2017, as the government has found the progress of the work of their under-construction permanent campuses satisfactory.
If the universities fail to shift their activities to the permanent campus within the given time, their admissions would remain closed from January 1, 2018.
The government has given time to Manarat International University, Bangladesh Islami University, Atish Dipankar University of Science and Technology, Asian University of Bangladesh, and American International University time till September 30, 2017, to shift all its academic and administrative work to their permanent campus. If they fail to follow the directives, the admissions will be suspended from October 1, 2017.
Though it would be difficult for us to move within the deadline, we will do so. We have already shifted four courses to the permanent campus at Mugda, Dhaka. The two remaining courses would be moved there as well, the registrar of Bangladesh Islami University, Prof. Md Yousuf, told The Independent on Wednesday.
We want to respect the directives of the government in this regard, he added.
Atish Dipankar University sources said they have placed the governments deadline for the campus shift before the board of trustees. Besides, they have requested the government for some more time to shift to the permanent campus. They said they might need time until December this year to complete the shift.
The government has also thanked the private universities that have shifted to their respective permanent campuses within the deadline.
These universities are the North South University, the International University of Business Agriculture and Technology, Independent University, the International Islamic University, Chittagong, the Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology, East West University, the Bangladesh University of Business and Technology, Gono Biswabidyalaya, the BGC Trust University, and The University of Asia Pacific.
