Get tough with private universities, watchdog tells minister

A parliamentary panel has advised the education minister to act tough to ‘rein in’ the private universities. The Parliamentary Committee on the Ministry of Education also recommended increasing the vigil on the institutions ‘to combat irregularities and corruption’ there. The recommendations were made on Tuesday at a meeting of the committee held at Parliament building on the University of Science and Technology (USTC), a private-sector institution. The institution has remained closed for around two months amid agitations by its teachers and staff demanding formulation of service rules. There are allegations that the university is not abiding by the Private University Act, under which it was established in 1992. After the meeting, committee chairman Afsarul Amin said: ‘Allegations of irregularities in private universities often surface. An official of the (education) ministry monitors private university affairs. There is University Grants Commission too. Still irregularities are taking place. The committee has asked the ministry to be tough on the matters,’ he said. Transparency International, Bangladesh in a report published last month claimed millions of taka changed hands in underhand dealings at private universities, according to bdnews24.com.