Private univs realise fees at their will: Nahid

Education minister Nurul Islam Nahid told parliament on Thursday that the private universities realised tuition and others fees at their will in violation of the Private University Act 2010 that required them to fix the fees in consultation with the University Grants Commission.
‘It is one of the main hurdles for ensuring higher education for people irrespective of the poor and rich groups,’ he said in his scripted answer to a question from lawmaker M Abdul Latif.
Primary and mass education minister Mostafizur Rahman placed the answer on behalf of Nahid, now in London.
Private university students have to pay the university Tk 2,50,000-5,50,000 or more for bachelor’s degree in business administration and Tk 2,50,000-6,30,000 or more in computer science and engineering and Tk 3,30,000 or more for a master’s in business administration, commission officials said.
Parents alleged that the private universities raised their tuition and other fees every year.
Allegations have it that although the private universities have been established as non-profit institutions, the owners have turned most of the universities into commercial organisations by charging excessive fees taking no interest in improving the quality of education.
Nahid told parliament there was hardly any scope for a solution to the problem immediately in line with the 2010 act.
‘We need an overall survey of the fees of private universities,’ he said, adding that a parliamentary sub-committee was working on amendment to the 2010 act.
About 4.5 lakh students are enrolled at 95 private universities across the country, commission officials said.
The incumbent government in its successive terms approved 41 new private universities and 8 public universities, Nahid said while answering another question from lawmaker Ali Azam.

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