At least 10 private universities outside Dhaka that were established before 2018 have not held a single convocation, largely due to low student enrollment relative to approved seat capacities, according to an investigation.
One of the institutions is Global University Bangladesh, established in 2015 as the first private university in the southern region of the country. Approved by the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Ministry of Education, the university has been operating from rented premises in the Nathullabad area of Barisal city since its establishment but has yet to organize a convocation.
From the current January session, the UGC has instructed that admissions to all programs at Global University Bangladesh be suspended. The decision followed resolutions adopted at the commission’s 58th meeting on December 24 last year and recommendations made by an investigation committee.
Global University Bangladesh is among 10 private universities located in divisional cities outside Dhaka that have never held a convocation. The investigation found that a key reason was failure to enroll a sufficient number of students in line with approved seat capacities.
The oldest among them is Shah Makhdum Management University in Rajshahi, established in 2005. Some universities have applied for permission to hold convocations after fulfilling government conditions but are still awaiting approval.
The universities that have never held a convocation are North Western University (Khulna), North East University (Sylhet), North Bengal International University (Rajshahi), Bangladesh Army University of Engineering and Technology (Rajshahi), Global University Bangladesh (Barisal), Shah Makhdum Management University (Rajshahi), University of Creative Technology Chittagong, Northern University (Khulna), Ahsania Mission University of Science and Technology (Rajshahi), and Khan Bahadur Ahsanullah University.
Shah Makhdum Management University, established in Rajshahi in 2005, remains the oldest institution on the list. Although it was listed by the UGC in 2018, it has yet to hold a convocation. Ahsania Mission University of Science and Technology, founded in Rajshahi in 2018, has also not organized one.
Some universities have held only two or three convocations over periods of up to 24 years. Although there are informal allegations of irregular salary payments to teachers at some institutions, none of the relevant authorities provided direct information.
Several university authorities declined to comment on why convocations have not been held despite more than a decade having passed. The UGC said arrangements are being made to organize the ceremonies.
Some universities said they have applied for permission to hold convocations and are awaiting approval, while others said there is no requirement to hold them annually.
BGC Trust University Bangladesh, located beside the Chittagong–Cox’s Bazar highway in Chandanaish upazila of Chittagong district, has held only two convocations since its establishment. Its second convocation was held on September 30, 2023.
“There is no rule requiring a convocation to be held every year,” Registrar Dr SM Shoaib told Dhaka Tribune. “Universities organize convocations at a time that suits them. Neither the Ministry of Education nor the UGC has imposed such a rule.”
The University of Creative Technology Chittagong, established in 2015, has not held a convocation. Public relations officer Abhiman Ghosh Dastidar said the university attracts good students but expressed concern over enrollment this year due to a lower HSC pass rate.
Vice-Chancellor Dr Md Zahid Hossain said the university has about 2,500 students and more than 80 teachers. “It is true that no convocation has been held yet,” he said. “We have written to the UGC. Once they fix a date, the convocation will be organized accordingly.”
Premier University in Chittagong, established in 2001, has held three convocations. Port City International University, founded in 2012, has 191 teachers and about 4,000 students but has held only two convocations. Chittagong Independent University, established in 2013, has held two convocations and currently enrolls about 2,000 students across three faculties.
Mehedi Hasan Shuvo, chief public relations officer of the University of Global Village in Barisal, said the university was established in 2016 and operates from three rented buildings on C&B Road, offering undergraduate and postgraduate programs in business administration, engineering, humanities, and health sciences.
UGC member Professor Dr Mohammad Anwar Hossain said some universities that have not held convocations have submitted applications, which have been forwarded to the UGC by the Ministry of Education.
“During the current government’s tenure, initiatives have been taken to complete convocations at several universities,” he told Dhaka Tribune. “Arrangements will be made to organize convocations at the remaining universities within a short time.”
He said convocation-related information would be published on the UGC website to ensure transparency.
Asked whether weaker universities are enrolling students in line with approved capacities, he said: “If universities do not have the minimum required number of students, they will not be allowed to continue academic activities. The universities are being closely monitored.”
Professor Hossain said convocation approval by the chancellor—the president—is mandatory to issue original certificates and is not merely ceremonial.
The report was prepared with contributions from Dhaka Tribune correspondents in Sylhet, Barisal, Chittagong, Rangpur, and Rajshahi.
