The High Court on Monday directed the University Grants Commission (UGC) to submit a report with it regarding the allocation of funds for research in the 105 private universities from 2010 till 2022 as per Section 9(6) of the Private University Act 2010.
It also directed the UGC to submit a report detailing the total number of poor students from the underprivileged areas in Bangladesh had been admitted to the 105 private universities from 2010 to 2022 as per Section 9(4) of the act.
The Chairman of the UGC has been asked to comply with the asking within 60 days.
The High Court bench of Justice Md Mozibur Rahman Miah and Justice Khizir Hayat passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by Consumer Association of Bangladesh (CAB) represented by its convener, Architect Mubassher Hossain.
The court also issued a rule upon the concerned bodies of the government to explain in four weeks as to why the inaction of the respondents in not taking appropriate steps to ensure implementation of the provisions regarding allocation of funds for research and admitting poor students in the reserve seats should not be declared illegal.
It also wanted to know in the rule as to why the respondents should not be directed to take appropriate steps to ensure implementation of the provisions regarding allocation of funds for research and admitting poor students in the reserve seats should not be declared illegal.
Secretary of the Secondary and Higher Education Division of the Education Ministry and Additional Secretary (University) of the Secondary & Higher Education Division of the ministry have been asked to comply with the rule.
The High Court fixed August 14 for further hearing on the rule.
Barrister Jyotirmoy Barua appeared in the hearing on behalf of the Consumer Association of Bangladesh, while Deputy Attorney General Bepul Bagmar represented the state.
Later Mr Jyotirmoy said, “Private universities are supposed to give admission to the poor talented students in the 6.0 per cent reserved seats as per Private University Act. Apart from this the universities are also supposed to spend a fixed amount for research purpose. But they are not complying with the rules.”
“Consumer Association of Bangladesh tried to know over the issues. We come to know that none of the 105 private universities of the country admitted any poor talented student in the reserve seats nor they allocated any amount for research purpose since 2010,” added the lawyer.
In this circumstance, the CAB sent a letter to the Chancellor of the universities and the President on January 31 in 2022 to take appropriate actions against the private universities for not complying with the rules of the Private University Act.
The organisation later sent a legal notice upon the respondents demanding justice over the issues and finally filed the writ petition last week.
