According to a report published in a local newspaper there are 83 private universities in Bangladesh, which in itself is a staggering number. The report also adds that as many as 100 more private universities are in the pipeline. Now, this the point of our worry. As it is, 83 universities for a country of over 160 million people are not too many.
But we have to also contrast this with the total demand for such universities among the student population. Nobody has probably assessed yet the total demand for seats in universities from among our higher education seekers. But one may guess estimate that the existing private universities probably already provide opportunities on the whole for our higher education aspirants to get a berth in this stream of education. But what is more important to assess at the moment is whether members of our student population are getting truly ‘quality’ education in most of these existing private universities. If not, then what is the point of allowing more than their doubling in a short span of time to add only to the number of private universities considered as deficient in imparting quality education ?
Nowadays we often see that there are two or three such universities operating from the same building at different floors. The emergence of these private universities in most cases resulted obviously not from the altruistic motive of creating genuine educational opportunities for the youth of Bangladesh; rather it was due to the attention of certain business people towards the prospect of reaping huge profit from the business of education. They rushed for licenses to start and operate universities by gathering students charging them high admission and course fees but providing them with inadequate academic facilities.
However, they also realized that they must also target the middle income groups which pushed these new universities to lower the fees a little compared to the established private universities and this policy actually worked.
Only a few private universities actually established themselves as the source of quality education. Many private universities spoiled the fate of their students as they failed to make proper impression in the eyes of the employers. Some universities also lost their registration or license following evaluation by the University Grant Commission putting lives of their students in jeopardy.
Needless to say, the employers are day by day losing their interest in such private university graduates. Therefore, instead of further encouraging a policy of drift by allowing more private universities to be set up, the imperative is ensuring that the already set up such universities are obliged to pull up standards. We understand that the same cannot be done overnight.
But the authorities must be seen as playing their part effectively to put pressure on these institutions to make it clear to them that they have no choice but to improve in all respects to retain their licenses to operate. The authorities must also be resolved to completely render futile any attempt to set up a private university by anybody relying on political clout and lacking the appropriate background to be considered for such a venture.
