Authorities of higher education couldn't all pass the close scrutiny of propriety as an audit found some universities, and education and curriculum boards having misused government funds worth Tk 402.3 million.
The funds were shown spent in the name of development works, textbook publications and operations, insiders say.
At least 23 universities, five education boards, the National Curriculum and Textbook Board and the guardian body--University Grants Commission (UGC)--allegedly misdirected the public tax money in different forms during the fiscal years (FY) 2013-14 to FY2015.
The above-mentioned public educational institutions and agencies did not deposit Tk53.70 million worth of VAT as they had not deducted it from the clients or deducted lesser than the estimates, the government's auditing agency-the Office of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG)-has unearthed the anomalies.
The audit report has already been placed before parliament and handed over to the Public Accounts Committee (PCA) of the national parliament for taking proper action.
The PCA chairman and governance experts have criticised the "misappropriation and mismanagement" in public financial management as such bungling of funds and violation of procurement law were noticed.
Dhaka University, Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Cumilla University, Hazi Mohammad Danesh University, Dinajpur, Khulna University. Bangabandhu Science and Technology University, Gopalganj, Begum Rokeya University, Rangpur, Rajshahi University, Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology (RUET), Chittagong University, and Bangladesh Textile University, Dhaka, have been named in the audit report, according to the sources.
The secondary and higher secondary education boards in Dhaka, Barisal and Rajshahi, and the National Curriculum and Textbook Board (NCTB) did not deposit the VAT with the national exchequer too.
The auditors found that some universities had charged much lower funds than the actual rent of the residential buildings and their maintenance fees from the teachers and staffs residing there over the two years in FY2014 and FY2015. Furthermore, the teachers and staff members withdrew the house allowances without paying the money into the university funds.
The public universities were deprived of Tk 91.81 million due to payment of lower than the actual rent by the university teachers and staffs.
The universities' authorities have paid Tk168.40 million as a recreation allowance to the staffs and teachers improperly.
Authorities of RUET, Khulna University and Shahjalal University of Science and Technology did not care to realize Tk 14.04 million in bond money from some teachers for not joining the universities after completing their higher education at home and abroad during FY2014 to FY2015.
"It is interesting that at least seven public universities paid personal income tax and car tax of the teachers and staffs in two fiscal years, worth Tk 50.52 million," it is noted in the CAG audit reports.
Haji Mohammad Danesh Science and Technology University and Jashore Science and Technology University paid Tk 0.61 million higher funds in the name of extra oil-purchase bills in a single year, the auditors have found.
This correspondent has tried but failed to get any comment from the UGC on the audit objections.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Accounts Dr Rustam Ali Farazi told the FE that they had already taken over the CAG reports placed in the parliament.
"Some of the audit-objection reports have already been discussed at our meeting. Among them, a few have already been detected as the problematic ones in terms of public- fund use and the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has been recommended for taking actions," he says.
Hailing the CAG office for those audit reports, Mr Farazi said, "We will be scrutinising all the audit reports and take necessary actions."
Asked about the modes of action, he said: "As per rules of procedure of the parliament we cannot go for taking action against the corruption or misappropriation. But we can recommend the line ministry or the ACC for taking action."
He adds: "Sometimes we form committee for further investigation into the objections. If the committee finds those factual, then we recommend the ministry or ACC for taking action."
Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman says the audit reports on the precincts of education prove to what extent corruption in Bangladesh has expanded.
"A section of dishonest public servants and businessmen (contractors) are creating some illegal opportunities of making money from the state coffer. And this trend has been established in recent years, which is destructive for the country."
He laments that the audit reports are usually not discussed in parliament properly. "The Public Accounts Committee does not function properly, too. So, mismanagement in public financial management is going on," says Mr Iftekharuzzaman, hailing the CAG office for digging out the wrongs.
