The Senate of Jahangirnagar University (JU) has approved a Tk348.70 crore budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year, with no allocation for research and innovation from the university's own revenue fund.
The budget was approved at the university's 43rd annual Senate session on Saturday, chaired by Vice-Chancellor Prof Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan. Treasurer Prof M Abdur Rob presented the proposed budget.
Majority allocated to salaries, no research funding
The largest share of the approved budget—Tk201.43 crore, or 57.77%—has been allocated for salaries and allowances of teachers, officers and employees.
Another Tk78.03 crore (22.38%) has been earmarked for general supplies and services, covering administrative and operational expenses.
The budget also allocates Tk37.14 crore (10.65%) for pensions and retirement benefits, Tk11.37 crore for equipment procurement, Tk9.47 crore for infrastructure maintenance, Tk2.82 crore for information and communication technology (ICT), Tk2.44 crore for vehicle procurement and Tk70 lakh for primary healthcare support.
However, no funds have been allocated for research and innovation from the university's own revenue budget. University authorities said research funding would instead be provided directly by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
Revenue deficit nears Tk100 crore
According to the treasurer's report presented at the Senate, the university's revenue deficit has continued to widen due to a persistent gap between expenditure and government allocation.
The cumulative deficit stood at Tk61.91 crore until FY2022-23, rising to Tk80.37 crore in FY2023-24. An additional deficit of Tk18.70 crore in FY2024-25 pushed the total shortfall to Tk99.07 crore. University officials said the figure is expected to exceed Tk100 crore once the current fiscal year's accounts are finalized.
The administration said JU had sought Tk441.01 crore from the UGC for FY2026-27 but received an allocation of Tk348.70 crore, leaving a significant funding gap.
Prof Abdur Rob said the shortfall has made it increasingly difficult to finance research activities, student services, administrative operations and staff welfare. He added that expenditure on the JU School and College, research allowances, night-duty allowances, guard bonuses, health insurance subsidies and wages for temporary dining hall employees continues to put pressure on the university's revenue fund.
Debate over proposed institute
The Senate session also saw debate over the proposed Institute of Islamic Studies and Theology.
Senate member and History Department Professor Dr Mohammad Golam Rabbani alleged that the proposal had been placed before the Academic Council as a supplementary agenda despite the absence of a quorum, arguing that such an important academic matter should not have been processed in that manner.
He further said the proposal should not have been placed before the Senate because the Academic Council's earlier decision had yet to be confirmed at a subsequent meeting.
Echoing the criticism, Senate member and Dhaka Central University Treasurer Prof Borhan Uddin described the process as an "academic crime", saying that establishing a new institute or department should never be introduced through a supplementary agenda.
7th convocation planned for February 2027
Addressing the Senate, Vice-Chancellor Prof Mohammad Kamrul Ahsan said the university is planning to hold its seventh convocation in February 2027.
He noted that the sixth convocation was held on February 25, 2023, and sought the cooperation of Senate members in organizing the next convocation.
The vice-chancellor also shared updated university statistics, saying JU currently has 12,197 undergraduate and postgraduate students, along with 916 MPhil researchers and 954 PhD researchers. The university employs 707 teachers, 392 officers, 998 third-class employees and 453 fourth-class employees.
Proposal to restore Bangabandhu Hall name
During the Senate session, Prof Shamim Kaiser of the Institute of Information Technology (IIT) proposed restoring the name of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Hall.
He urged the vice-chancellor to consider the matter without viewing it through a political lens.
Prof Kaiser also stressed the need for a long-term academic master plan before opening new academic units. He called for addressing infrastructure shortages at IIT and the Institute of Business Administration (IBA), ensuring dedicated facilities for different faculties, strengthening research infrastructure and improving the university's position in international rankings.
