Seat rent at varsities may be increased

MM Jasim :
Seat rent at public universities is very little and, therefore, the university authorities should increase it in order to run the academic activities properly, University Grants Commission (UGC) said this in its annual reports published recently.
UGC Chairman Professor AK Azad Chowdhury with such recommendations handed over the reports to President Abdul Hamid on January 9.
“The government grants fund to meet educational
expenditure in all the public universities. The universities can also help the government in this regard by increasing seat rent,” the report said.
“The university authorities should increase seat rent to inflate the treasury. It is not difficult for the students to response to the new rate of rent,” Azad Chowdhury said.
He also hoped that no Vice-Chancellor of any university would disagree with the UGC proposal.
Dhaka University (DU) Vice-Chancellor Professor AAMS Arefin Siddique supported the UGC proposal, saying that the students would agree with the proposal of UGC, as it is rational.
He said it would be helpful for the university if UGC suggested so. “We will take steps when we get letter from UGC. We will definitely cooperate with the UGC recommendations,” Arefin Siddique said.
On the other hand, the students of public universities expressed mix-reactions. Some one said, it is not supportable and some others said, it might be considered.
Saddam Hossain, a fourth year student of Political Science Department of Rajshahi University, told The New Nation that the UGC was trying to implement World Bank assignment. They want to make the university a commercial institution. So, we shall never support the proposal of UGC, he said.
Nadim Ahsan, a third year student of Jahangirnagar University, said, the university authorities can enhance the seat rent if they use it in students’ interests.