Govt wants to induct DCs into university syndicates

The government has taken an initiative to include the district deputy commissioners (DCs) in the syndicate or managing committees of the public and private universities and medical colleges across the country.

The Secondary and Higher Education Division, under the Education Ministry, recently sent a letter to the University Grants Commission (UGC) asking it to take measures in this regard, according to officials.

However, educationists and teachers’ organisations have termed the initiative illogical and oppressive and said this aims to establish another colonial system.

They said the move will have a negative impact on the whole higher education system because the university and medical teachers will never feel comfortable if local administrations interfere with academic activities.

Reached for comment, Bangladesh Bishwabidyalay Parishad President Prof Habibur Rahman told The Business Post that they are yet to learn about such an initiative.

“Apart from the ministry’s representative, there is no scope to include the DCs as syndicate members in line with the law and it won’t be an easy task since the universities operate according to their law passed by the parliament,” said Habibur, also the vice-chancellor (VC) of Dhaka University of Engineering and Technology.

UGC sources said the ministry on May 31 this year also sent a letter to the UGC to take measures in this regard.

Following the ministry order, UGC will discuss the issue in the next monthly meeting. It will also hold another meeting with the VCs of the public and private universities.

UGC Secretary Dr Ferdous Zaman said they have received a letter to implement the order. “We will discuss the issue and give a formal reply to the ministry soon.” Currently, there are 53 public universities and 109 private universities around the country. There are also 110 medical colleges — of which, 37 are public and 73 private.

Laws need to be amended

Education Ministry sources said the matter of including DCs in the syndicates or managing committees of the public and private universities and medical colleges was approved at this year’s DC Conference held in Dhaka. The Cabinet Division has also cleared it.

A UGC member, requesting anonymity, told The Business Post that the laws under which all these institutions operate will have to be amended first by the government to add a provision to include the DCs.

A syndicate is the executive government of a university. It discusses and sends the academic and administrative recommendations and decisions to the university’s highest governing body, Senate, for the final decision.

For example, Dhaka University (DU) has 17 members in its syndicate. The VC and pro-VCs become members of the syndicate automatically. It also includes two members from the Academic Council, six teachers, one educationist, one registered graduate, three members appointed by the chancellor and one representative from Education Ministry.

DU will have to amend its law and have it passed in parliament if the district’s DC is to be included in the syndicate in line with the government’s initiative.

Protests

In 2021, the Education Ministry appointed former additional secretary Mohammad Abdul Mannan as the treasurer of Bangamata Sheikh Fojilatunnesa Mujib Science and Technology University in Jamalpur.

The Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers’ Association (FBUTA) and other teachers’ associations at different universities strongly protested the appointment. Many also made posts on social media platforms

expressing their dissatisfaction.

FBUTA Secretary Prof Dr Md Nizamul Haque Bhuiyan said they protested when the government appointed bureaucrats at that university.

The quality of education will be hampered if the universities are influenced by bureaucrats, he said. “We will call a meeting, discuss this issue and decide our action plan.”

Dr Mohammad MA Aziz, the general secretary of Swadhinata Chikitshak Parishad (SWACHIP), said the government already has its representative at the medical college hospitals. “But I don’t know why the DCs want to get involved here too. It will not bring any positive result at all.”

“We always ask the ministry to send a representative who has knowledge about health education. But we do not want anyone from the admin cadre,” he added.

Seeking anonymity, an additional secretary of the ministry said that they know about the matter but they do not support the initiative.