For better governance of public universities

A good number of teachers of different public universities are either staying abroad without authorisation or found to be too dedicated to their assignments at private universities and various consultancies at the cost of their regular jobs. This is particularly the case of such premier universities in Dhaka. The situation in varying degrees is a similar one also in public medical colleges and publicly-run specialized institutes of higher education. What can be an effective strategy against this malaise ? It appears that the first thing in order is a proper motivational atmosphere for the teachers of public universities and institutions. Compared to the much better paid teachers at private universities, their salaries are still found to be substantially lower in comparison even after several revisions. Thus, the salaries of teachers of public universities and institutes must be raised to be at par with the ones in private institutions. After having done this, rules and regulations will have to be made afresh and strictly enforced to prohibit or limit their outside involvement in academic work for a remuneration. Mechanisms do also need to be devised so that the teachers who go abroad feel obligated to return to the country to resume their teaching activities. Abu Taher Shaymoli Dhaka