Private university count tops 100 in Bangladesh amid question over quality

The government has approved two more private universities just nine days after clearing two others, though it often questions the standard of education provided by many of these institutions.

With the two new, the number of private universities in Bangladesh will be 101.

The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education issued an order clearing Bandarban University in the hills district and Shah Mokhdum Management University in Rajshahi on Thursday.

State Minister for Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing is establishing the university in Bandarban. He is also the founder of Bandarban Education Development Foundation.

Shah Mokhdum Management University has BM Shamsul Haque, a Bangladeshi expatriate in Singapore, as chairman of its trustee board, education ministry officials said.

Students of the Chittagong Independent University rejoice after they were conferred the degree at the first convocation of the university held in the port city on Sunday. Photo: suman babu

Twenty-three conditions have been tagged to the approval of the two new universities.

These include having its own or rented complex of 25,000 square feet and trustee board with nine to 21 members. 

On Apr 18, the government cleared Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah University in Khulna and Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology in Rajshahi.

As many as 33 private universities have failed to meet the criteria of establishing permanent campuses despite repeated reminders by the government.

Standard of education in many of the private universities is questionable while some of them are allegedly operating only to ‘sell certificates’.

An education ministry official said six more private universities are awaiting government’s clearance.

Leader of the Opposition in Parliament Raushon Ershad has applied for Raushon Ershad International University Bangladesh, former Jatiya Party MP HM Golam Reza for Singapore University of Bangladesh, MP Shamsul Alam Bhuiyan for Apollo University of Science and Technology, Chief Whip ASM Feroz for South Region University, Engineer AKM Mosharraf Hussain for International Standard University, and Bangladesh Bauddha Kristi Prachar Sangha President Suddhananda Mahathero for Sanghanayek Sradmananda Mahathero University of Ateesh Dipankar.