Anomalies galore at Asian University as ministry sits idle
A teacher quits job in protest, says what the university is doing in the name of higher education is just business
The Asian University of Bangladesh (AUB) continues operations despite having multiple counts of violations of the law ranging from administrative anomalies to certificate business to running unapproved courses, according to tertiary education watchdog UGC.
The UGC, or University Grants Commission (UGC), notified the education ministry several times about the violations including the latest one in April 2021.
But a ministry official said he is not aware of the issue and yet to get the letter the UGC sent last year.
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The official, AKM Aftab Hossain Pramanik, Additional Secretary (University) of Secondary and Higher Education Division under the education ministry, said, "I will look into the matter and take action if I find any irregularities."
The university was established in 1996, and the private university has never appointed a pro-vice-chancellor since then. It has not had a vice-chancellor since 2012. According to the UGC, both the vacancies are in violation of the Private University Act.
"Professor Abul Hasan M Sadeq – a former VC who left office in 2012 – signs the academic certificates and is involved in other academic activities that are completely illegal," read the UGC letter sent to the ministry last year.
Md Omar Farooq, director (Private University) at the UGC who sent the letter to the ministry, told The Business Standard that the vice-chancellor is the head of university syndicate, academic council and teachers' recruitment committee as per law. In absence of him, continuing academic and administrative activities is questionable.
Sources at the UGC said AUB did not submit its financial report for many years though submitting the report to the tertiary education watchdog per year is mandatory. Besides, the university has more temporary teachers than permanent ones – another violation of the law.
Serious allegation against univ high-ups
The UGC told the ministry last year that it had found primary evidence that suggested AUB registrar was in certificate business and the university high-ups could also be involved in it.
Vice-chancellor and controller sign the academic certificates jointly, while the appeared certificates have only the signature of the controller.
"We think that the certificate business is impossible by Registrar Faruk Ahmed alone without having support from the university high-ups," the UGC letter mentioned asking the board of trustees to take action against the registrar.
But the university is yet to take any action against the registrar.
Just doing business?
The university has been offering BA Honours in Islamic Studies, MBA Executive and MBA Evening courses without the approval of the UGC, according to Mohammad Mohsin Uddin, former AUB dean who quit the job protesting the anomalies.
"AUB is just doing business in the name of higher education," alleged Mohsin Uddin. The UGC found the allegation to be true and noted the findings in the report sent to the ministry.
On condition of anonymity, a number of teachers and staff of the university said former VC Prof Abul Hasan M Sadeq now controls everything of AUB as his son Muhammad Jafar Sadeq is the chairman of the university board of trustees.
"In many cases, Prof Sadeq takes decisions alone without talking to the syndicate or the academic council," a teacher of the university told TBS.
The teachers claimed they do not dare to protest the anomalies by the father-son duo fearing job loss.
Despite several attempts, The Business Standard could not reach Prof Sadeq for comments.
The board of trustees Chairman Muhammad Jafar Sadeq denied the allegations. He said the university appointed a treasurer in November last year, who also can discharge the additional duty of the VC.
Jafar Sadeq said they have sent the VC panel list to the UGC, but have yet to get any response.
UGC Director of Private University Division Omar Farooq said the VC panel list has been made with controversial persons.
The UGC official also said AUB does not have the "UGC permanent certificate" – an approval a private university is supposed to secure within 12 years of its inception.
"We can stop the academic activities as per the law. But we need the help of the ministry," said UGC Director Md Omar Farooq.
The Asian University of Bangladesh, according to its own data, now has 5,500 students.
