& çâÌæÚUæð´ ·¤è ¥ôÚU Îð¹Ùæ ÁæÚUè ÚU¹ð´ ¥ÍæüÌ ¥ÂÙð ÜÿØ ÂÚU ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´Ð ãæÚU Ù ×æÙð´, €UØô´ç·¤ ·¤æ× ·¤ÚUÙð âð ¥æÂ·¤ô ©gðàØ ·¤è Âýæç# ãôÌè ãñ ¥õÚU ÁèßÙ ·¤æ ¹æÜèÂÙ ÎêÚU ãôÌæ ãñÐ ÖÜð ãè ÁèßÙ ×ð´ ç·¤ÌÙè Öè ·¤çÆÙæ§ü €UØô´ Ù ¥æ°, çÁ™ææâæ ¥õÚU ©ˆâæã ÕÙæ° ÚU¹ð´Ð ŠØæÙ ÚU¹ð´, ÜÿØ ã×ðàææ ¥æÂ·Ô¤ Âæâ ãôÌð ãñ´ çÁ‹ãð´ ÂæÙð ·Ô¤ çÜ° ÂýØæâ ¥æÂ ·¤Öè Öè àæéM¤ ·¤ÚU â·¤Ìð ãñ´Ð

Show-causes to precede closure of 7 pvt varsities

MUSTAK HOSSAIN
The education ministry is set to serve show-cause notices on seven private universities this week as a last warning before shutting them down for failing to create an atmosphere congenial to standard education.
"This is the last corrective measure before we close these poorly performing universities," Education Secretary Faruq Ahmad Siddiqi told The Daily Star recently.
The seven institutions facing the axe are Central Women's University, Comilla University, Queens University, America-Bangladesh University, Southern University, Green University and Pundra University of Science.
Siddiqi said the move has been taken as per the Private University Act (Amended), 1998. A one-man judicial probe body formed in line with Article 16(1) of the law also recommended closing down these varsities, he added. The article prescribes a judicial probe into any allegation against these tertiary-level academic institutions in the private sector.
The secretary said the showcause notices would be served first, as "it is necessary to give them a chance to defend their side."
"If they can show any valid reason [for their poor performance], the ministry will take it into consideration," he noted.
The judicial probe body of Justice M Fazlul Huq formed in November submitted its 43-page report to the secretary on January 16.
The judicial investigation was undertaken after a high-powered University Grants Commission (UGC) committee, after evaluating performance of the private-sector universities, had blacklisted eight of them -- the seven named above and BGC Trust University.
The UGC evaluation committee was formed on July 15, 2003 as per a directive of the prime minister,
amid widespread allegations of poor educational quality and noncompliance with the UGC rules against several private universities.
The committee in its report submitted to the prime minister on October 17 recommended that the government should close down eight of the 52 private universities it evaluated.
The committee headed by UGC Chairman Prof M Asaduzzaman found seven gross flaws and irregularities including poor academic standard, absence of students and faculty, temporary and overcrowded campuses, false statements by students and faculty, and almost a total lack of administration in the blacklisted varsities.
It found these universities had opened departments and enrolled students without the obligatory approval of the UGC.
The universities were found to
SEE PAGE 11 COL 8
FROM PAGE 12
have submitted false statements to the committee about their faculty members -- both the full- and the part-timers -- and their salary structures, said the committee inits report.
They also gave false information about their executives, governing boards, audit reports, and reports on theirlatestincome and expenditure.
During inspection, the committee members noticed no-one of the parttime teachers of these eight varsities had 'no-objection certificates' from their main employers.
The sub-standard varsities also had no reserve fund, which is mandatory.
In clear violation of an education ministry directive, these universities enrolled students in undergraduate courses before they had obtained higher secondary examination certificates.
They do not also have adequate space as stipulated in the law and have failed to develop own campuses within five years into their establishment, asis necessary.
The judicial probe that followed the evaluation found the flaws and irregularities reported by the UGC committee to be absolutely true. However, it recommended that some time be given to the BGC Trust University before closing it down, as it has some students and its infrastructure is adequate, too.
Meanwhile, a newly formed Association of Private Universities in Bangladesh (Apub) is considering to appeal to the government to review its decision to shut down the seven of its members.
"Now we have an organisation and it would be better if the government discusses the issues relating to private universities with us," Apub Joint Convenor Abul Quasem Haider told The Daily Star. "We also have sought an appointment with the education minister to discuss the issues," he added.