The Association of Private Universities Bangladesh (APUB), a platform of private universities, urged the government not to enact the recently drafted policy allowing foreign universities to open up branches in the country, saying that the policy is completely incompatible and contradictory with the Private University Act 2010 and against the national interest and standard education system.
The APUB said any full-fledged foreign universities can be established in the country as per the existing private university act and for non-commercial purposes, but there was no necessity of branches of foreign universities or higher educational institutions or study centres in the country.
In a joint statement, the association’s President CM Shafi Sami and its Secretary General Alimullah Miyan said that if the policy is enacted, it will create discrimination and double standards in operating private universities in the country.
The APUB also cautioned that the enactment of the policy will result in low-quality foreign universities flooding the country and practicing “education business.”
The statement said the association discussed the issue with its general and executive committees and observed that the draft is incompatible with the existing Private University Act 2010 in many ways.
The government recently finalized a draft policy, “Foreign Higher Education Operation in Bangladesh 2012,” to allow foreign universities to open up branches, go into joint ventures with local counterparts or operate study centres in Bangladesh.
According to education ministry officials, the policy is now under Law Ministry vetting and it would be enacted after the vetting.
The APUB statement said that the Private University Act 2010 prohibits universities to establish outer campuses, but the draft policy will allow outer campuses of foreign universities. It also said that if the draft policy is enacted, foreign university branches can open higher education institutes in 15,000 square feet areas and with 30 students, which is discriminatory as the private university act directs private universities to require 25,000 square feet space and three schools before they can start operating.
It further pointed out that foreign university branches had been banned and shut down in the past for selling certificates, but the policy will allow the practice to resume. The enactment of the policy will also allow joint venture universities established for commercial purposes – to transfer money to foreign countries.
The statement said the draft policy exempted foreign universities from following all but two clauses of the private university act, on conferring certificates to students. It also claimed that the foreign university branches will work as recruiting agencies of foreign universities and will ensure its business security.
The APUB also said that it is unclear that the policy was formulated on the basis of which law, and thus there are complexities to its implementation.
