Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has put emphasis on bringing the government colleges under the respective public universities as affiliated institutions.
The premier made the suggestion when a four-member delegation of the University Grants Commission (UGC), led by its newly-appointed Chairman Professor Abdul Mannan, called on her at her office Wednesday morning.
She made the opinion in order to reduce the pressure of huge number of students, said PM's Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim.
Noting that some 35,000 students are now studying at Dhaka University, putting a huge pressure on its campus, the PM said: “The system of higher studies should be changed through bringing the government colleges as the affiliated bodies under the public universities in order to reduce such pressure.”
She also said that the countrywide private colleges should be brought under the National University so that there is no need of such a large campus.
Placing emphasis on flourishing education further, Sheikh Hasina said that her government is working to expand education, especially science and technology-based education.
She also asked the UGC to continuously monitor the performance of the teachers of the universities.
During the meeting, the delegation apprised the Prime Minister of the activities of the UGC.
The members of the team said that the number of universities in the country were only six when the UGC was established in 1973 by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. But with the passage of time, the number of both public and private universities rose to 121, they said.
They informed the Prime Minister that a project is underway with $ 240 million loan assistance from the World Bank for enhancement of quality higher education in Bangladesh.
The UGC delegation also said that the total number of students studying in the countrywide universities is around 30 lakh of which about 63 percent students are studying at the private universities.
PMO Secretary Suraiya Begum was present on the occasion, among others.