Irregularities in recruitment crippling universities: Education Adviser

Irregularities in teacher recruitment are crippling public universities in the long term, Education Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud said on Sunday (22 December).

At the First Bangladesh Higher Education Conference 2024, organised by Banik Barta, he said universities are facing several issues, such as teacher politics and the display of power in the name of student politics.

However, the most serious problem has been the irregularities in teacher recruitment over the past decade and a half, he said at the event held at the Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in the capital.

The education adviser further said, "Currently, after completing higher secondary education, students are leaving the country for studies, which was common in our time as well. This should be stopped. To prevent this, the quality of higher education in the country must be improved."

During his speech, the adviser emphasised the need to improve education and research in both public and private universities, stating that various crises have arisen in the country's educational sector in the past.

He mentioned that the sector has been severely politicised, and efforts are underway to eliminate these issues by bringing in qualified individuals for appointments, including vice-chancellors and others.

Professor Dr SM A Faiz, chairman of the University Grants Commission, attended the conference as the special guest.

Prominent figures in the country's education sector participated as panelists during the event. Among them, discussions on the administration and financing of public universities were held by Professor Dr Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan, member of the University Grants Commission; Professor Dr Niaz Ahmed Khan, Vice-Chancellor of Dhaka University; Professor Dr Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan, Vice-Chancellor of Jahangirnagar University; and Professor Dr Mohammad Shahinul Alam, acting Vice-Chancellor of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University.