CoU Budget Rises from Tk 36,000 to Tk 1.22 Lakh per Student, Yet Deficit Persists

Despite a steady increase in budget size over the years, Comilla University (CoU) continues to struggle with persistent budget deficits, raising concerns over its academic and infrastructural development.

The university’s budget for the 2026–27 fiscal year has been set at Tk 79.72 crore, up from Tk 1.10 crore in its inaugural 2007–08 fiscal year. Of the latest allocation, Tk 71.62 crore will be provided by the University Grants Commission (UGC), while Tk 8.10 crore is expected to come from the university’s own sources.

Since its inception, CoU has witnessed 21 fiscal-year budgets. Starting with just seven departments, 15 teachers, and 300 students, the university now comprises 19 departments, 286 teachers, and nearly 7,000 students.

However, despite gradual increases in annual budgets, a consistent gap between proposed and approved budgets has remained a major concern. University officials fear that such deficits may hinder overall academic and administrative activities.

Sources say that although the approved budget for 2026–27 stands at Tk 79.72 crore, the proposed budget was significantly higher, indicating a likely shortfall of Tk 10–12 crore.

In the 2025–26 fiscal year, the university proposed a budget of Tk 92.70 crore, but only Tk 76.10 crore was approved, leaving a deficit of Tk 16.30 crore. Similar gaps have been observed in recent years, including the 2024–25 and 2023–24 fiscal years.

A review of the last five years shows fluctuating trends. The budget stood at Tk 64.16 crore in 2022–23, declined to Tk 61.29 crore in 2023–24, and then rose to Tk 71.99 crore in 2024–25. The revised budget for 2024–25 later increased to Tk 75.69 crore. For 2025–26, the budget was set at Tk 76.10 crore, and for 2026–27 it has increased by Tk 3.62 crore, or 4.76 percent.

Although the overall budget has increased by about 24.25 percent over five years, year-to-year growth has been inconsistent. Notably, the 2023–24 budget decreased by 4.47 percent compared to the previous year.

Per-student allocation has also risen significantly. In 2007–08, with 300 students, the allocation per student was Tk 36,667. Currently, with a total of 6,523 students, the per capita allocation stands at Tk 1,22,213.

However, stakeholders argue that this increase is still insufficient in the current economic context.
The university’s own income remains limited due to its relatively small size. Internal revenue has gradually increased from Tk 4.50 crore in 2022–23 to Tk 8.10 crore in 2026–27, but this remains inadequate to meet growing demands, making the institution heavily dependent on UGC funding.

University officials stress that adequate funding is crucial for academic activities, research and innovation, infrastructure development, student services, administrative management, technological upgrades, and overall quality improvement.

They warn that continued budget deficits could weaken the university’s academic environment, service quality, and institutional capacity in the long run—reflected in its lack of strong positioning in national and global rankings.

On the issue, Treasurer Prof Dr Mohammad Solaiman said that ongoing large-scale projects, including a new campus, have influenced budget dynamics. He noted that the university is not yet self-sufficient in many areas, making it difficult to complete projects within a single fiscal year.

He also pointed out shortcomings in planning and data presentation, stating that without proper proposals from planning and engineering departments, it becomes difficult to determine funding needs or initiate large-scale projects.

“We have repeatedly asked for consolidated data so that we can propose major projects, possibly worth Tk 50 crore or more,” he added.