Govt asks TIB to give names

The education ministry has asked Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) to name, within three days, those involved in corruption at private universities.

It has also asked for the names and addresses of those who provided information about the irregularities.

The ministry sought the information in a letter sent to TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman on Monday.

On June 30, the independent pressure group released a report - 'Private Universities: Challenges of Good Governance and Ways Forward' - and sent it to the ministry right after its publication.

The TIB report claimed millions of taka change hands at private universities for unethical purposes.

It said almost anything is possible with under-the-table payments at these universities -- from getting pass marks by paying Tk 500 to securing false certificates and assignments to audit to manipulate campus inspection, approval of appointments to top posts to approval of new departments and syllabus.

The report said higher the stakes and more difficult the faking, one has to pay up more -- up to Tk 30 million for a real big fix.

The education ministry and the University Grants Commission already protested against the findings of the report.

The letter said: “The ministry is eager to take specific measures regarding the corruption in private universities as mentioned in the report.”

It sought the lists of the 22 private universities where the study was conducted and the 94 public and private universities in Dhaka, and the names and designations of education ministry and UGC officials providing the corruption information.

It asked the Berlin-based anti-corruption watchdog’s local office to submit the information by July 17.