M M Jasim :
The proposed Higher Education Commission to accelerate the over all activities of the public and private universities is yet to form even after the University Grants Commission has sent letters on several times to the government in this regard.
The demand to turn the UGC into Higher Education Commission was raised since 2007 with a view to ensuring quality education and doing international standard research in both public and private universities in the county.
According to the existing UGC law and educationists, the UGC has no direct power to take action against any faulty university. It can only recommend to take measures against irregularities.
UGC Chairman Professor Abdul Mannan said though the range of higher education has been raised widely in the country in recent years, the UGC’s scope to work not widened.
He said the initiative to form Higher Education Commission had started one decade ago. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in September of 2016 also announced to form it as early as possible.
“We are hopeful to form the commission,” the UGC chairman said.
Former UGC Chairman Professor AK Azad Chowdhury told The New Nation yesterday that he tried to turn the UGC into Higher Education Commission and the drafted proposals in this regard were sent to the Education Ministry for three times in 2015.
“I don’t know when the Higher Education Commission will be formed. But it is demand of time to form the commission to make the students world standard,” he said.
Prof. Choudhury said, “It is impossible to bring transparency in income-expenditure at private universities under the existing law. We have no authority to control it as per the existing private university act-2010. In order to bring transparency, an amendment to the law is needed.”
The officials concerned of the Education Ministry declined to make any comment in this respect.
It may be mentioned that the UGC was formed in 1973 with only six universities. Of them, four were autonomous. Now the number of public and private universities is 134. But the capacity of the UGC is unchanged.
