Syed Shemul Parvez :
Kobi Nazrul Government College, a renowned educational institute of the capital, collects taka 400 from each student as transport fees every year, but there is no transports facility. According to the official website of the college, at present the college has about 17,000 students. As such, about taka 68 lakh is collected every year for transportation. But, there is no transportation system for students at all.
Ordinary students want to know why taka is collected in the name of transportation and where the money is gone?
According to office sources, in the last four years since the affiliation of Dhaka University, a transport fee of around Tk 2 crore 72 thousand was taken. In the last 10 years, the amount has increased at least three times, about TK 9 crore. It is to be noted that before joining Dhaka University, there were about 27,000 students.
Surprisingly there is no trace of money raised in the name of transport fees in the last 10 years. Contrarily, billions of taka as transport fees have disappeared.
Sources further said that the transport fee collected from the students is spent to bring the necessary documents, question papers and office related files from the University of Dhaka as well as others transactional cost.
But, question of transparency arises where does this money go in the name of transportation? Kobi Nazrul College Principal Professor Amena Begum refused to say anything in response to such a question.
Rubina Haque, a student of Zoology Department of Kabi Nazrul Government College for the academic year 2015-16, said, “I have been studying in this college for seven long years. My studies are now in the final stages. So far I have not seen any transportation for the students.
But we pay transport fee amounting to taka 400 every year. So why are the college authorities taking this money from us and where does this money go every year? ‘
Nargis Akhter, a student of the accounting department for the 2016-17 academic year, said, “Even though we pay the transportation fee every year at the time of admission, there is no transportation facility in our college.” We have been agitating for transport for a long time, but it has not been addressed.
In the face of the movement, the former principal of our college IK Selim borrowed two BRTC buses in 2019. But it also stopped after a while. To travel by public bus, everyone has to suffer various kinds of hurdles. We want the college administration to alleviate the suffering of the students by providing transportation, she added.
‘ Zayed Hossain, a student of political science department, said, “If the college does not provide transportation for us, then why does it charge transportation fee?”
In this regard, the Principal of Kobi Nazrul Government College, Professor Amena Begum said, “The money that is taken from the students from the college is spent in that sector.” And what is not spent is kept in the bank. ‘Asked why it was left in the bank without providing transportation for the students, Principal said, “Student transport fees are used for various needs of the students and for other reasons of the college.”
When asked, how much money is deposited in the transport fees collected from the students and why it is not used for the transportation of the students, principal told the reporters “You shouldn’t know about it.
Principal Amena Begum also assured that the two previously rented buses would be re-launched soon for the convenience of the students. “
It is not a university, it’s a college,” We can’t do everything that we want. We have to follow the instructions of our ministry. We have already applied to buy a bus. We will buy it if we get permission. Besides, we don’t have enough space to keep the vehicles on the campus premises.
