A NUMBER of private universities are mired in irregularities and corruption, continuously flouting laws in the absence of monitoring and enforcement of rules, shows a report by Transparency International Bangladesh. A nexus of private university authorities and a section of officials of University Grants Commission and Education Ministry are involved in irregularities and corruption, said the report on ‘Private universities – challenge of good governance and ways forward’ by TIB. The study was conducted on 22 private universities between 2012 and 2014. There are 79 private universities in the country.The TIB survey found illegal transactions in private universities at every stage – from getting approval for launching to the distribution of certificates. It found that approval of a private university involved illegal transactions ranging between Tk 1 crore and Tk 3 crore and Tk 50,000 – Tk 3 lakh for fake certificates, Tk 50,000 – Tk1 lakh for audit report, Tk 50,000 – Tk 2 lakh to get approval for appointment of vice-chancellor, pro vice-chancellor and treasurer and Tk 50,000 – Tk 1 lakh for inspection for approval of the university. There were illegal transactions of Tk 10,000 – Tk 30,000 for faculty approval, Tk 10,000 – Tk 20,000 for department approval and Tk 5000 – 10,000 for syllabus approval, the report added. In some private universities, they provide certificates without taking classes and exams, said the report adding that some of the teachers ‘assist’ authorities in doing so in exchange for money.The information about corruption in private universities is nothing new. TIB only disclosed the result of their investigation. Unless politics is free of corruption and lies, the whole society is bound to be affected by corruption of the politicians. That is what has happened everywhere. Education as a whole lacks academic atmosphere. It is through lies that a false picture is given about the success of the government in the education sector. The quality of education has gone down. The question papers are easily leaked for money. The university students are being used as violent elements of the party in power in return for protecting them against crimes and extortion business. Most of the private universities have been allowed on political considerations knowingly that those will be used more for publicity purpose and money making business. Let the government save the young ones from false degree certificates instead of making them competent citizens. The world will also doubt the genuineness of our university education. The country cannot rely on the University Grants Commission which is more anxious to do nothing and find justification for every wrong. We want the authorities, who they may be; to punish those responsible for the crime of selling degree certificates destroying the future of the young students and damaging whatever good name left for our university education.
