Emon Mahmud
The online registration for the honour’s first year admission test of Jahangirnagar University (JU) under the session of 2019-20 began on August 8. The fee of admission form has been raised again by violating the UGC’s directive. With the latest fee hike, the increase of admission form fees is 72 percent in 8 years. According to the sources, the fee of admission form of this year for the units ‘A’, ‘B’, ‘C’, ‘D’ and ‘E’ have been fixed at Tk. 600 which was Tk. 550 last year. Besides, the fee of C1, F, G, H and I units are Tk. 400 this year which was Tk. 350 last year.
The fee of admission form of A, B, C and D units under the session of 2011-12 was Tk. 350 and gradually in 2015-16 session it was raised up to Tk. 525 and 2016-17 session at Tk. 550. The fee of JU admission form is increasing by Tk. 25 every year but in this year it has been increased to Tk. 50. According to the account section of JU, the university authorities earned Tk. 12 crores and 29 lakh by selling admission forms last year. Excluding the admission process expenditure, the remaining Tk. 9 crore was grabbed by the admission test managing committee and others as honorarium.
According to the direction of UGC, from the income of admission form selling, 40 percent of money will be submitted to the university fund. But the teachers are grabbing all the money apart from the cost of admission test. According to the administrative sources, the Vice-Chancellor received Tk. 3 lakh as the chairman of the central admission test managing committee. The two pro-VCs, Treasurer, dean of every faculties and director of every institutes received Tk. 2 lakhs 90 thousands as honorarium. The teachers who have done duty as invigilator at the admission test received Tk. 1 lakh, 45 thousand. Besides, the officers who were involved in the Central Admission Management Committee also received Tk. 1 lakh and 45 thousands.
Students have been protesting the fees hike. President of Jahangirnagar Cultural Alliance Ashikur Rahman said, ‘The public universities in the countries are charging huge fees in absence of a uniform guideline. The poor and middle class families will fall in crisis to apply for admission test.’ Prof Sayeed Ferdous, member of ‘Shammilito Shiksok Samaj’, said, ‘The fees of admission forms should not be increased. ‘‘Our wages have increased more than ever before. So, it is not honorable for the teachers to earn money by cutting the pockets of the admission seekers,’ he added.
JU Pro-VC (administration) Prof Md. Amir Hussain said, ‘After this year’s budget, the price of the goods has increased. So, the price of the form has been increased. Moreover, there is also a pressure to increase the honorarium for teachers every year.’ Prof Dr. Dil Afroza, member of UGC’ said, ‘`It is an internal matter of a university. Combined admission test can help us to dispel such circumstances.’
