Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid yesterday asked the Transparency International Bangladesh to present specific proof of government’s corruption in private universities or apologise for its recent report.
The Bangladesh chapter of the Berlin-based corruption watchdog has claimed that it has enough evidence of corruption in the 22 private universities it surveyed in the past two years.
“We have already sent the full report to the Education Ministry. If necessary, we will provide them with evidence and other documents, but there is no scope to withdraw the report,” TIB Executive Director Iftekharuzzaman told the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
In its June 30 report, the TIB alleged that a section of officials at the Education Ministry, the University Grants Commission and private universities were involved in corruption at different stages.
The Education Ministry has decided to sit with the vice-chancellors and chairmen of the trustee boards of private universities on Sunday and discuss the report.
The education minister at parliament yesterday termed the TIB report – styled “Private Universities: Challenges of Good Governance and Way-out” – ill-motivated aimed at embarrassing the government.
“They have made some allegations without giving any specific examples. Either you have to show instances or withdraw the report…Nobody has the right to mislead the people,” Nahid said while talking on the private-member resolutions moved by independent MP Salim Uddin Tarafder (Naogaon 3).
“The TIB has no evidence of corruption allegations. It claims to have been carrying out the investigation for the past two years but never talked to the officials of the ministry. This report is baseless.
“Either you have to come up with specific instances or you have to seek apology – there is no alternative,” Nahid said in the presence of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the assembly with Speaker Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury in the chair.
He also said his ministry had already started investigation into the allegations raised by the TIB.
The TIB’s research report said approval of a private university involved illegal transactions of money between Tk1 crore and Tk3 crore. For a fake certificate, the amount is between Tk50,000 and Tk3 lakh.
According to the report, private universities must pay bribe between Tk50,000 and Tk1 lakh for getting permission and submitting their audit reports to the Education Ministry.
The amount of bribe for getting approval for the appointment of vice-chancellor, pro-vice-chancellor and treasurer ranges between Tk50,000 and Tk2 lakh, the report said.
The study was conducted on 22 out of 79 private universities between 2012 and 2014.
The TIB in a statement on Wednesday asserted that it had carried out the study to help establish good governance in the sector, not to undermine any individual or institution.
Meanwhile, the Education Ministry has issued letters to the universities concerned, inviting them to a meeting on Sunday.
Education Secretary Mohammad Sadik confirmed this to the Dhaka Tribune yesterday.
Earlier on Wednesday, the ministry and the University Grants Commission sent letters to all 79 private universities, asking them to provide necessary information on alleged grafts.
A senior UGC official told the Dhaka Tribune that they had got all information from these universities.
“We have yet to finish checking the information, but we have so far found that everybody replied in the negative,” he said.
TIB refuses to withdraw report
About the remarks of the education minister Iftekharuzzaman said: “This is nothing new. Ministers often come up with such reaction.
“Such remarks will help encourage corruption. We do not expect such comments from Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid.”
The TIB executive director also claimed that they had maintained international standards while carrying out the research study. “We have enough evidence in support of the report.”
He thinks that the denial of corruption will encourage officials and employees to get involved in irregularities. “No one should encourage corrupt persons.”