Pvt univs unmoved amid deadlines [ Tritiyo Matra News ]

Pvt univs unmoved amid deadlines

Local January 28, 2017

ears after they start their academic activities.
Only 12 of the 51 private universities so far complied, though after the fourth deadline.
Thirty-nine private universities which have been running their academic activities in rented houses are set to miss the fourth deadline of January 31 for moving to their permanent campuses set by the government, according to University Grants Commission.
Not a single private university moved to their own campuses since January 2016 when the government had issued the fourth deadline allowing time till January 31, 2017, they have informed.
UGC chairman Abdul Mannan has said that most of universities which missed the deadline are ‘profit-orientated’, so they do not want to move to their own campuses outside Dhaka fearing a drop in student enrolment.
‘We’ll sit with the education ministry and the authorities of private universities to decide the next course of action soon,’ said Abdul Mannan.
Association of Non-Government Universities of Bangladesh chairman Sheikh Kabir Hossain has said that these universities should have moved to own campuses but many of them may have financial constrains.
‘Government should come forward to arrange lands, facilitate bank loans
for private universities for smooth running of these institutions and moving to their own campus,’ he suggested.
As per UGC officials, currently there are 95 private universities and of them 51 universities were set up between 1992 and 2003 and have legal obligation to move to their own campuses.
The Private University Act 2010 stipulates that a university must own a permanent campus on an acre of land in the capital and two acres outside the capital seven years into its operation.
The government issued the first ultimatum to errant universities in December 2010 saying that they would not be allowed to enroll students from October 2011 onwards if they failed to move to their own campuses.
In January 2012, the government gave private universities one more year for the second time to move to their own and permanent campuses.
In January 2014, the education ministry asked the private universities, who missed the two deadlines, to shift their campuses by September 15, 2015. And in January 2016, they provided one more year for the task.
According to the UGC, till now the universities that moved to their own permanent campus are North South University, University of Science and Technology Chittagong, Independent University Bangladesh, International University of Business Agriculture and Technology, International Islami University Chittagong, East West University, Ahsanullah Science and Technology University, Bangladesh University of Business and Technology, Gano Biswabidyalaya, BGC Trust University Bangladesh, University of Asia Pacific and City University.
UGC officials added that Daffodil International University runs 15 out of 39 programmes from its permanent campus in Savar and it is also running academic activities form Sukrabad and Uttara campuses.
Ten universities – American International University Bangladesh, Asian University of Bangladesh, Dhaka International University, Leading University, University of Liberal Arts Bangladesh, Uttara University, Royal University, University of Information Technology and Sciences, Atish Dipankar University of Science and Technology and Northern University Bangladesh are running partial academic activities on own campuses.
Ten universities constructing permanent campus are Bangladesh University, Green University of Bangladesh, People’s University of Bangladesh, United International University, Southern University of Bangladesh, Eastern University, World University of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Islamic University, East Delta University and ASA University.
Seven universities that have purchased land but are yet to start constructions of their campus are State University, Manarat International University, Prime Asia University, Metropolitan University, Victoria University of Bangladesh, University of Development Alternative and University of South Asia.
Three universities — Prime University, Stamford University of Bangladesh, Central Women’s University — purchased land smaller than what they are required to have by the law.
South East University and Millennium University are operating partial academic activities from lands belonging to their foundations. But the land handover is under process.
Presidency University is yet to buy land in line with the law.
The construction work of permanent campus of BRAC University is going on in Merul Badda. Now it is holding classes for one semester programme in the under-construction building in Birulia, Savar.
Shanto Mariam University of Creative Technology is operating partial academic activities from its permanent campus at Savar and it is also waiting for approval of plan of another campus by Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkhya Third Phase project.
Premier University, Sylhet International University and IBAIS University are in conflicts over ownership.