VCs are committing irregularities, but the UGC not taking action
If vice-chancellors of universities in Bangladesh indulge in wholesale corruption and irregularities, we cannot have much to expect from these tertiary-level institutions.
Compounded with the present trend of unruly and poisonous student politics where students are used as musclemen of the ruling Awami League, the rampant irregularities have made the public universities to lose much of their academic character.
At present, irregularities are rife in the appointment of teachers, officials and employees in various public universities, and vice-chancellors and influential people are behind these irregularities involving recruitment, purchase, construction, etc.
Over the past few years, vice-chancellors drew controversies for appointing their wives, children and close relatives or making purchases in the name of their own anonymous institutions.
Even more seriously, the University Grants Commission (UGC), the controlling authority of universities, took no action or showed little interest in investigating these cases of irregularities and corruption.
If this situation persists in universities, university education will further get imperiled since irregularities and corruption leave out the meritorious and deserving candidates.
The time is now for admitting that there is a serious shortage of good governance in universities and UGC must play its due role in improving the situation.
When the presence of politically appointed corrupt vice-chancellors has become an embarrassment for the whole nation, quoting the sources of the UGC, a national daily yesterday reported that the UGC has not been doing any investigation for a long time over corruption and irregularities of vice-chancellors.
And how could the UGC do it? Political appointments have also made the UGC an ineffective overseeing authority of the universities.
Still, some officials of UGC are also reportedly involved with the recruitment committee of some universities, and they also have their share of blame for irregularities.
As a result, the investigating agency shows reluctance to investigate the cases of irregularities and corruption, though complaints are lodged with the UGC against university authorities for employing close relatives by vice-chancellors. Complaints were also placed before the UGC on exams, purchase and other issues, but without any effect.
In recent times, daughters of the vice-chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University of Science and Technology in Gopalganj and the vice- chancellor of Barisal University were appointed as lecturers in these two universities within a year.
These two vice-chancellors recruited the other’s daughters in their universities, but the UGC kept mum about this nepotism.
As these vice-chancellors themselves are appointed on the ground of their affiliation with the ruling party, they can easily get away with their irregularities.
