M M Jasim :
The Southern University Bangladesh, Chittagong Branch, is still open defying the court and the Education Ministry’s order. The classes, the examinations and the activities of admission are going on, even for the next session. The other six campuses’ scenario is same.
When contacted an official of Chittagong Branch situated on the Mehedibag Road told The New Nation that the outer campus is active.
Jamal Uddin, a guardian of an admission seeker, went to the university for his nephew’s admission for the next session. The admission officer wishing anonymity demanded that Tk 10,000 for admission in BBA courses and a total of Tk 2.5 lakh for completion of the whole course.
The scenario of other outer campuses of Southern University Bangladesh is the same.
Some other private universities are also running their outer campuses smoothly, defying the Court and the Education Ministry’s order.
Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) Professor Abdul Mannan told The New Nation on Wednesday that the private university should comply with the court’s order.
“We sent letter to the private universities to close their outer campuses and to show respect to the court. The UGC also published many advertisement in the media to make the students and the guardians aware about the outer campuses of the private universities,” the UGC chairman said. “We will send further notices to the universities if they do not shut their outer campuses. The UGC will take stern action against those universities who run their outer campuses. We will also request the law enforcing agencies and local administration to close the outer campuses,” Professor Mannan said.
The UGC sources said, there are 63 outer campuses of nine private universities. Of them, Darul Ihsan University has 29 outer campuses, BCG Trust University two, Chittagong International Islamic University five, Southern University Bangladesh seven, America Bangladesh University 16, University of Science and Technology, Chittagong one, University of Information Technology and Sciences Chittagong one and Queens University has one outer campus.
Earlier, the UGC closed 119 outer campuses of different private universities.
BGC Trust University controller M Nurul Huda Sikder said that they had already closed their outer campuses and informed the government about it.
He, however, declined to say how many outer campuses they had.
None from Darul Ihsan University, International Islamic University and Southern University of Bangladesh could be reached for comments despite repeated attempts.
On July 26, the Education Ministry declared the closure of all the outer campuses of private universities.
The ministry issued an office order in this regard in accordance with a High Court verdict.
