An interim administrator is set to be appointed for seven government colleges previously affiliated with Dhaka University (DU), until they are turned into a university, with the interim administration’s headquarters set to be based at Dhaka College.
Prof AKM Elius, the recently retired principal of Dhaka College, is set to take on the role, confirmed Prof Dr Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan, a member of the University Grants Commission (UGC), on Sunday.
"Since Prof Elius is retired, he will be appointed on a contractual basis," Tanzimuddin said.
The interim administration’s headquarters will be based at Dhaka College, he added.
According to sources, the government made this decision based on a proposal from the UGC.
Under the UGC's supervision, the activities of the seven government colleges will be managed under a coordinated structure.
Earlier, in response to demands from students of the seven colleges, the government decided to establish a new university for them, to be named “Dhaka Central University.”
The seven colleges that will be brought under this new university are Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul Government College, Begum Badrunnessa Government Girls' College, Mirpur Government Bangla College, and Government Titumir College.
These institutions collectively serve nearly 200,000 students and employ over 1,000 teachers.
Previously, the colleges were affiliated with the National University. On February 17, 2017, they were re-affiliated under Dhaka University (DU).
However, issues like timely exams and result publication had persisted since the transition, prompting repeated student protests.
After the interim government took office, students from these seven colleges launched widespread and intense demonstrations.
In response, the government decided to establish a dedicated university for the colleges.