Dhaka University failed to decide on closure of evening courses even after the directive of the President and subsequently of the University Grants Commission (UGC). When contacted, head of different departments and institutions told Bangladesh Post that they’d obey any decision coming from the central authority of the university but the authority is yet to decide.
University authority formed a dean’s committee to take decision on this matter despite the decision being under review, the admission for evening courses is not stopped. Most of the admission tests of evening courses for spring session had been completed before the university convocation took place on the second week of December last year. Admission of some courses is going on while the admission process is already completed in some courses.
An official at Accounting and Information System said that they did not receive any directives to shut down evening courses. So, the admission test has taken place on time. DU pro-VC (education) Prof. Nasreen Ahmad said, “We tried to shut down the courses last year, but failed to draw cooperation from the departments concerned. As the President has renewed the call of late, we’ll take initiative again to address the issue.”
“We can put forth our position in this regard and even talk at the Deans Committee meeting about the abolition of the programmes. But we can’t impose it without cooperation of those who are running the courses,” she added. Responding to the question, DU VC Prof. Akhtaruzzaman said, “When we met the President at the beginning of the year, he gave us some suggestions regarding the evening programmes. We even formed a committee this year. We’re still waiting for the recommendations.”
Students organizations and DUCSU also demanded shutting down of evening courses saying that is hampers regular academic activities of students and that it shows DU to be like any other business institution. The regular students of DU alleged that teachers are more interested to take classes in the evening courses for higher remuneration. Besides taking classes in the evening courses, many take classes of private universities. As a result, Dhaka University is being deprived of both educational and research activities.
According to available information at different faculties, about Tk 660 million is earned every year from the students of evening courses.
A total of 2,160 students are admitted every session for evening courses under nine departments of Dhaka University's FBS. Some Tk 200,000-250,000 is charged from a student.
There are differences in the amount of money on the basis of departments and courses. On December 9 President M Abdul Hamid came down heavily on the evening programmes in public universities at the 52nd convocation of Dhaka University. He said, “A section of teachers had turned the university into a ‘business institution’, disrupting its overall academic environment.”
Two days into the president’s remark, University Grants Commission (UGC) in a letter to university vice chancellors made a 13-point recommendation including closure of evening courses. Meanwhile, the authorities of Jagannath University and Cumilla University have already issued notices not to admit fresh students in the evening programmes until decision is taken in this regard.