The University Grants Commission (UGC) has said the National University largely failed to impart desired quality education, putting the total higher education sector into a serious question mark as the university covers majority of the country's tertiary education.
The National University (NU) is the country's lone chain university affiliating more than 2,000 colleges across the country, where more than 1.2 million students have been enrolled.
According to the latest report of the university's watchdog, since the inception of NU in 1992 the university has been struggling hard to provide quality education but largely failed because of its inadequate supervision over its affiliated institutions.
Expressing concern over the quality of NU-produced graduates, the university regulator has continued its recommendations to decentralise the solo chain university dividing into seven parts division-wise.
The regulatory body emphasised on close and tight supervision over the activities of the affiliated institutions including academic and related works to achieve expected level of quality education.
In 2009, the government formed a high-powered committee to prepare necessary recommendations over the university. And the committee had identified that the high number of colleges is a major constraint on the way of quality education.
Unfortunately, the authorities failed to implement the committee's recommendations including decentralisation over the last four years deepening the university's crisis.
The watchdog also blamed the NU authority for its failure to take necessary measures to reduce the existing academic gridlock that already gripped the community whole.
The regulatory body thinks the authorities should also strengthen academic monitoring including formulation of the modern syllabus and employment of teachers in the affiliated colleges to ensure the quality education.
Students said shortage of teachers and negligence of the authorities concerned resulted in untold academic session jam and they even couldn't apply for the government job as their age exceeded the upper limit of 30 years.
"Having costly and lengthy academic life, most of the national university students remain unemployed which is frustrating for the nation as a whole", said Nur-e-Alam, an undergraduate student of the university who got admitted in the academic session 2007-2008.
Regarding the decentralisation of the country's largest chain university, NU Vice Chancellor Prof Harun-or-Rashid told the FE that he was not aware of the decentralisation process until the middle of 2013.
"However, during my period, I have already started the process, the professor said adding that in order to ensure close monitoring, the university already started establishing division-wise local centres".
Refuting the allegation about NU's reluctance to reduce the existing academic gridlock, the VC said they have been even taking the final examinations during the nationwide general strikes.
"It's true that the expectation of the people on the national university and its graduates is enormous, but we can't deny the reality", the NU VC said adding that the university has been facing acute shortage of teachers and logistic support.
"Our priority is to minimise the existing session jam and to increase the required logistic support for the university that contributes more than 60 per cent to the country's higher education sector", Dr Rashid said.
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