Private universities to get freedom with checks: Minister

Education Minister Dr ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon has expressed solidarity with the demand for greater autonomy in private universities while issuing a note of caution.

He said that although private universities require their own freedom, such freedom must not be misused in ways that could lead to incidents like the Holy Artisan attack.

The minister made the remarks during an exchange of views held at the Sheraton in Banani, Dhaka, organised by the Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh (APUB).

The event, titled “Role of Private Universities in Higher Education, Future Directions and Joint Action Plan for Achieving National Goals”, brought together policymakers, academics and stakeholders.

“We want to fix the system. Work in the Ministry of Education will move at a rapid pace. Our vision is to transform Bangladesh into one of the world’s leading education hubs. We have the necessary resources, talent and determination to achieve this goal,” the minister said.

“We are committed to working together to resolve the challenges facing private universities. To this end, we will form a committee that includes representatives from private universities to ensure inclusive and effective decision-making,” he added.

Prime Minister’s Adviser Dr Mahdi Amin said the goal is to bring all universities in the country toward a more equitable standard.

“Not all institutions fall into the same category. We have some state-of-the-art private universities, some still in early stages, and others that require quality improvement,” he noted.

He added that the roles of the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Accreditation Council need to be further strengthened.

“One of the primary objectives of higher education is to impart knowledge and conduct fundamental research. In a country like Bangladesh, with a large youth population, higher education should have a direct linkage with employment,” he said.

“We aim to build an ecosystem where individuals are equipped with practical skills. At the same time, a major goal is to establish strong industry-academia collaboration,” he added.

University Grants Commission (UGC) Chairman Dr Mamun Ahmed said there are currently around 100 private universities in operation, some of which are performing excellently while others face challenges.

“The UGC treats all five million students equally, whether they are in public or private institutions, as ensuring quality education is our responsibility,” he said.

He noted that feedback from the private sector often centres on ownership and Board of Trustees (BoT) issues but emphasised that the priority should be improving the overall higher education landscape and educational quality.

“The vision is to establish Bangladesh as an educational hub through quality education and internationalisation,” he added.

At the event, Dr Md Sabur Khan, chairman of APUB, presented the keynote paper, while Secretary General Ishtiaque Abedin delivered the welcome speech.