7 college teachers protest proposed univ structure
Staff Reporter :
Teachers from Dhaka’s seven major government colleges staged a human chain in front of the University Grants Commission (UGC) on Wednesday, opposing the government’s proposed plan to form a new university under a divisional structure.
The protesting teachers argued that the plan, if implemented, would shrink opportunities for higher education, deepen inequality, and particularly harm women’s education at Eden Mohila College and Begum Badrunnesa Government Mohila College.
They also warned of complications regarding existing teaching positions and ranks.
Instead of the proposed divisional setup, the teachers demanded that the new university tentatively named Dhaka Central University be established with separate campuses, while keeping the seven colleges as affiliated institutions under its umbrella.
Several hundred teachers joined the demonstration, forming a human chain before UGC and later submitting a memorandum to the UGC Chairman.
Under the proposed plan, the seven colleges Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul Government College, Begum Badrunnesa Mohila College, Government Bangla College, and Government Titumir College would no longer independently teach all subjects.
Instead, they would be divided into four “schools”:
School of Science – Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Begum Badrunnesa Mohila College
School of Arts and Humanities – Government Bangla College
School of Business – Government Titumir College
School of Law and Justice – Kabi Nazrul Government College and Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College
Classes would follow a “hybrid model” – 40% online and 60% in-person – with all examinations held physically.
Teachers fear this reorganisation would reduce the number of seats in honours programs, depriving many students from disadvantaged backgrounds of higher education opportunities. They also argued that Dhaka College’s historic role as a leading higher secondary institution would be undermined.
Prof. Mahfil Ara Begum, Head of the History Department at Eden Mohila College, said:
“We are not against forming a new university. But it must be done without dismantling the existing structure of these seven historic colleges. We demand an affiliating model instead.”
The teachers also highlighted that over 1,500 positions of BCS General Education cadre officials could be lost if the colleges were directly converted into a university, citing the precedent of Jagannath College’s transition into a university.
Protesters expressed particular concern over the fate of Eden and Begum Badrunnesa colleges, both of which have played a vital role in advancing women’s education in the capital.
They warned that merging these institutions under a divisional university framework would significantly reduce opportunities for women students.
The BCS General Education Association, led by convenor Prof. Khan Moinuddin Al Mahmud and member-secretary Masud Rana Khan, expressed solidarity with the protesting teachers.
Teachers urged the government to hold proper consultations before finalising the decision, stressing that any restructuring must preserve the colleges’ administrative and financial independence while modernising curricula and maintaining fair teacher-student ratios.