TIB defends its report on pvt varsities

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UNB, Dhaka :
Responding to Education Ministry and the University Grants Commission’s (UGC’s) protest against its study report, the Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) on Wednesday defended its position saying that it conducted the quantitative study maintaining the international standard.
“The study was conducted neither to undermine the ministry nor UGC, but intended to help the authorities concerned establish good governance in the private university sector,” said a TIB press
release.
It said, the primary and secondary data were collected from the Education Ministry, the UGC, board members, VCs, Pro-VCs and others of 22 private universities, members of Private University Association, students and guardians during the two-year study period.
Later, the data were examined by triangulation method of social science research, the release said.
In separate statements on Tuesday, the Education Ministry and the UGC trashed the TIB report that said sections of the education ministry, the UGC and private universities collude with each other in the corruption.
The TIB study report released on Monday said corrupt quarters are involved in getting approval of private universities, appointment of their high officials, including vice-chancellors, in exchange of bribe money.
The study report, titled ‘Private University: Governance Challenges and Way Forward’, also showed that the authorities have to pay a bribe of Tk 50,000 to Tk 2 lakh to get the approval to appoint vice chancellor, pro-vice chancellor or treasure of the universities and many private universities are providing fake certificates to students, bagging about Tk 50,000 to Tk 3 lakh for each certificate.
The UGC statement says the TIB intentionally published the report to undermine the Education Ministry and UGC and tried to make the country’s higher education questionable. “The report is not informative one.”
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