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how responsibly they perform their duties. Without committed and objective members, a committee serves little purpose,” he said.

He added that the committee should now also evaluate the performance of existing appointees and recommend corrective measures where necessary.

He called for a comprehensive review of recruitment practices at all public universities, stressing that many governance crises stem from politically motivated or unqualified appointments.

He also said four universities under autonomous systems have their own recruitment procedures. Now it is essential to establish a uniform policy and permanent governance framework for all universities. In the absence of an Education Commission, the UGC should take this responsibility, he added.

“Like its predecessors, this interim government acts only after unrest breaks out. Problems should be addressed when first raised, not after road blockades and demonstrations.”

He suggested that the search committee or a separate body under the UGC should evaluate current leadership across universities and take steps to prevent further governance failures.

Meanwhile, a former UGC member questioned the committee’s mandate, given that appointments have already been made at over 45 public universities.

He said in 2007, a caretaker government formed a similar search committee to appoint VCs to universities outside the four governed by the University Ordinance 1973 -- Dhaka, Rajshahi, Jahangirnagar, and Chittagong. That initiative became ineffective after the Awami League came to power in 2009.

The UGC’s “Strategic Plan for Higher Education 2006–2026” also flagged the existing VC appointment system as vulnerable to political interference and recommended a legally empowered national search committee.

Similarly, the Education Commission (2003), led by Prof Mohammad Moniruzzaman Miah, proposed that such a committee be headed by the chief justice or a nominated judge, alongside academics and key officials from the PSC and UGC.

Contacted, Nurun Akhtar, additional secretary (university) of the Secondary and Higher Education Division, said the committee would operate according to the responsibilities outlined in the official notification.

Asked about its relevance at this stage, she said, “They will work for future appointments, if necessary.”

She declined to comment on whether it would have been more appropriate to form the committee before the latest round of appointments.

Efforts to reach Education Adviser Prof CR Abrar and Senior Secretary Siddique Zobair for comments were unsuccessful, as they did not respond to repeated phone calls.