Irregularities in UGC’s ‘HEAT’ project must be stopped

There have long been dissatisfactions with the country’s higher education system. Allegation of fund misuse has been raised in the University Grant Commission’s (UGC’s “Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT)” project.

There are also accusations that thousands of students graduate from universities every year with nominal degrees. Even university teachers, who are supposed to be role models for society in terms of ethics and morality, are getting involved in corruption or financial scams.

Although the number of public and private universities in our country is over 170, research opportunities are very limited in most of the universities.

Reportedly, to fill this gap and improve the quality of higher education, the HEAT project has been undertaken with the support of the World Bank. But there are allegations of widespread irregularities in this Tk 4,000-crore project, undertaken in July, 2023, while the total cost it has been set at Tk 4,165.7 million.

According to a newspaper report, of this, 50.96 percent will be financed by the government, while the remaining 49.4 percent will be provided by the World Bank.

Recently, a World Bank delegation paid a courtesy call on Education Minister Dr. A.N.M. Ehsanul Haque Milon. During the meeting, the WB team has reportedly made “negative comments” about the HEAT project.

Meanwhile, some teachers at Shahjalan University of Science and Technology (SUST) complained at a press conference that low-profile and low-citation teachers have been selected for the HEAT project instead of good and recognized researchers.

They said that political allegiance and personal connections have taken precedence over qualifications to get the research project.

Education is the backbone of the nation – the saying is not just said. Despite irregularities in various fields in the developed world, they have maintained the quality of education.

That is why they have been able to reach the peak of development. And if we look into the news here, we see extreme anarchy in the education sector. Those who commit irregularities even from high positions are a curse to the nation. Due to their irregularities, many talents are being destroyed in their infancy.

We believe that there should be a fair and impartial investigation into these allegations. It should be remembered that there is no alternative to research to improve the quality of higher education.

All aspects of the project must be transparent. It must also be ensured that the truly talented get all kinds of opportunities. To build a prosperous country, irregularities in the education sector must be stopped.