Shafiqul Islam (Shafiq)
The Bangladesh University Grants Commission (UGC) has approved a budget of Tk 10,032.81 crore for 49 public universities in the country for the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Of these, there is a revenue budget of Tk 5,875.81 crore and a development budget of Tk 4,157 crore. UGC approved the budget on Thursday at the 160th commission meeting chaired by Chairman Professor Dr. Kazi Shahidullah. UGC Secretary (Additional Responsibilities) presented the working paper and budget of the meeting. Ferdous Zaman.
In the last fiscal year, the budget allocation in favor of 46 public universities was Tk 8,485.12 crore. As such, the allocation for public universities has increased by about Tk 1,548 crore this year. In the financial year 2021-2022, Dhaka University got the highest revenue budget and Habiganj Agricultural University got the lowest budget. In the fiscal year 2021-2022, 100 crore 74 lakh has been allocated for the research of public universities in higher education. Compared to last year, the allocation in this sector has been increased by Tk 34 crore. In the last 2020-2021 financial year, 66 crore 65 lakh was allocated in the main budget.
Besides, the commission has approved a budget of Tk 61.36 crore for UGC in the fiscal year 2021-2022. Of these, a budget of Tk 18 crore has been allocated for public university research, which is Tk 3 crore more than last year.
Regarding more allocation in the research sector, the UGC chairman said Bangladesh is now a developing country. The government is committed to make Bangladesh one of the developed countries in line by 2041. If we want to take the country forward by continuing the trend of development, we have to create new knowledge through quality education and research. To meet this goal, UGC has significantly increased the budget of the country’s public universities for research.
UGC member Professor Dr. Dil Afroza Begum, Professor Md. Sajjad Hossain, Professor Dr. Muhammad Alamgir, Professor Dr. Biswajit Chanda, Professor Md. Abu Taher, Islamic University, Kushtia Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sheikh Abdus Salam, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University Vice-Chancellor Prof. Gautam Buddha Das, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman University of Science and Technology Vice-Chancellor Prof. AQM Mahbub, Dean of Khulna University School of Law Md. Waliul Hasanat, Sylhet Agricultural University Professor of Livestock Production and Management Md. Abdul Baset, Professor of Wet Process Engineering at Bangladesh Textile University Md. Julhas Uddin, Member of Planning Commission (Socio-Economic Infrastructure) was involved at the meeting.The meeting approved the minutes of the 159th Commission meeting, reviewed the implementation progress of various decisions taken and approved the loan sanction policy for construction of general houses by Janata Bank Limited under corporate guarantee for the employees of UGC.
