Illegally run private universities should be closed down

The University Grants Commission (UGC), the country's regulatory authority of higher education, has sounded, like previous years, through a public notice a warning for aspiring HSC-passed candidates not to get admitted to eight private universities. Those eight varsities are ineligible for either conducting academic activities or have been barred from admitting fresh students to any course. Under the University Act, 2010, the eight universities concerned have lost their legal basis either to continue their academic activities or have a ban slapped on their fresh intake of students. These universities have no vice-chancellors, pro-vice-chancellors, treasurers appointed by the chancellor or failed to fulfil the conditions under the university act on schedule.

So the UGC has let it know for public --- aspirant candidates' to be precise---consumption that the body overseeing higher education in the country would take no responsibility if candidates get admission to those universities only in name and without any authority to continue with the admission process. The UGC further warns that the certificates issued by those universities will have no validity. Finally, if students still ignore the warning and fall victim to academic deception and financial defrauding, the UGC will take no responsibility for those.

This is quite intriguing. Human nature is such that people try to clutch at straws in desperation. Or else, youths from Bangladesh would not embark on the perilous journey in the Mediterranean Sea knowing full well that the chance is high to perish in the sea. Stiff competition in admission to universities compels some underperformers at the SSC and HSC examinations to seek admission to a university no matter how suspect it may be. Then there are some not smart enough to keep tab on the UGC website that updates the list of private universities approved for running academic activities. Even some reluctant admission seekers may be persuaded to get admitted by members of the blacklisted university staff.

First, unsuspecting or those candidates taking a chance would not even have any avenue to get enlisted as students with such illegal higher seats of learning if those institutions were not allowed to run. Is not it contradictory to leave any leeway for such universities to operate if they are illegal? Understandably, the UGC does not wield the requisite power to seal some of those universities off because of litigations. Only the Victoria University of Bangladesh has the legal basis of completing the courses of students who got admitted before January 1, 2023. But it has no right to go ahead with further admission of students.

If the UGC does not hold enough legal power to close down those universities, it should have sought a way out by this time. After all, UGC calls their operation illegal. When illegal, the magistracy power can be applied the way mobile courts seal off illegally run factories or shopping outlets for contravening various sections of law that governs their operation. Granted that during the past regime, the apex overseeing body could not take action against the sponsors of such establishments because they had enough political clouts in the corridor of power. But this year under the interim government it had a fair chance of arming it with the necessary legal tool or using the magistracy power to seal off those 'shops of higher studies'.

Can a public notice be enough for the UGC's exoneration of all responsibilities? If any illegal institution or organisation can operate in broad daylight, both the establishment and the authority that has the knowledge of its operation are equally to blame. Illegal health clinics and diagnostic centres, ubiquitous as they are, may have some excuses but institutions of higher studies operated illegally have none. The UGC must act fast to seal the illegal private varsities off before they lure some of the current batch of HSC-passed students to get admission to those.

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