The University Grants Commission (UGC) in a recent letter to the education ministry recommended taking legal action against Prime University’s Uttara campus authority for establishing outer campuses in different parts of the city.
Prime University Mirpur campus authority and Prime University Uttara campus authority, are in fact two entities operating under the same name, due to difference between owners. In June 2012, UGC told the education ministry the Uttara campus was illegal and should be shut down. A High Court stay order stalled the decision.
In its letter, the UGC states that the Prime University Mirpur Campus authority informed UGC that the Prime University Uttara campus authority had established outer campuses in different parts of city including Dhanmondi, Banani and Mirpur and was running academic activities there. Since running outer campuses was illegal as per the Private University Act 2010, UGC recommended legal actions against the university authority.
“Private universities cannot run outer campuses as per the Private University Act 2010 and that is why we have sent the letter to the education ministry,” UGC member Atful Hye Shibly told the Dhaka Tribune.
When contacted, Registrar of Prime University Uttara campus, Mohammad Shah Alam told the Dhaka Tribune that they had established campuses in different parts of the city but they were not outer campuses.
“We cannot accommodate all the students and teachers in the Uttara campus and so we have established campuses in some other parts of the city. They are mainly annex campuses and are not against the Private University Act 2010,” he said.
He said they had informed UGC about establishing the campuses.