The recruitment process of faculty members in public universities across Bangladesh remains one of the most pressing issues undermining the quality of higher education. Despite over fifty years of independence and a substantial education budget, our universities continue to lag behind in producing competent educators and world-class researchers.
One of the core problems lies in the flawed recruitment system, where political loyalty often outweighs academic excellence. Instead of prioritising teaching quality and research capability, faculty hiring is frequently influenced by party affiliation, lobbying, and minimal assessment criteria. This has severely compromised transparency, accountability, and innovation in higher education.
Globally, university recruitment is rigorous and merit-based, involving multiple evaluation steps such as written tests, demo classes, and research presentations. In contrast, recruitment in Bangladesh often bypasses these essential steps and emphasises GPA cutoffs that are more suited to student admissions than faculty appointments. Moreover, academic promotions and opportunities are often dictated by political engagement rather than scholarly contribution.
This political bias not only deters talented educators but also diverts attention from research and academic development. As a result, universities fail to produce notable innovations or internationally recognised scholars. Even prestigious institutions like Dhaka University have yet to make significant breakthroughs in science, technology and medicine.
Establishing a University Faculty Recruitment Commission could ensure a standardised, merit-based recruitment process that includes transparent evaluation of research and teaching competencies. Only by removing political influence and enforcing fair, rigorous hiring practices can our universities cultivate genuine scholars and researchers.
Without such reforms, no amount of budgetary allocation will bring improvement. Labs will remain underutilised, innovation will stall, and our universities will continue to produce "voters" instead of visionaries. For Bangladesh to progress, academia must be freed from partisan control and reoriented toward excellence.
Md. Helal Mia
Student
Department of Management Information Systems
Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur
mdhelalmiabrur@gmail.com
