Entrepreneurs want ‘academic freedom’ for private universities

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Weakening private universities means weakening the future of the country. Because the future of millions of students depends on this university. So we have to come out of the instability of policy regarding private universities. Quality education and secure future of students should be ensured.

For this reason, the entrepreneurs of the private universities have given a bunch of demands including ‘academic freedom’ for the private universities, the facility of PhD, keeping the representatives (members) of the private universities in the University Grants Commission (UGC), establishing links of studies with industries and making internship mandatory, settling the files in the UGC within 30 days.

In an event organized by Bangladesh Private University Association in the presence of Education Minister, Prime Minister’s Advisor, Secretary of Secondary and Higher Education Department and Chairman of UGC, Chairman Sabur Khan highlighted the existing status of private universities and their demands and proposals. Apart from this, some vice-chancellors also raised various demands.

The meeting was held on Tuesday night at a hotel in Banani in the capital on the topic of ‘Role of private universities in higher education, future directions and joint action plan to achieve national goals’.

In the chief guest’s speech at the event, Education Minister ANM Ehchanul Haque Milon said against excessive monitoring in universities, “If we continue to monitor seriously and put red tags, then these universities will not be able to function in the future.”

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Expressing his position in favor of the freedom of private universities, the minister said that such freedom will not be given so that Holy Artisan happens again (Militants carried out a brutal attack on Holy Artisan Bakery in Gulshan on the night of July 1, 2016. They took local and foreign guests hostage at gunpoint. They killed 20 local and foreign citizens by cutting and shooting).

Regarding the demands and proposals raised by entrepreneurs and vice-chancellors of private universities, the education minister said that a committee will be made on these issues.

Abdul Khalek, Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Education, expressed the opinion that representatives (members) of private universities should be kept in the UGC.

Advisor to Prime Minister on Education Mahdi Amin, Member of Parliament Saeed Al Noman, Chairman of UGC Mamun Ahmed, Vice Chancellor of North South University Professor Abdul Hannan Chowdhury, Secretary General of Private Universities Association Ishtiaq Abedin and others also spoke on the occasion.