To improve the quality of education, in 2017, the government affiliated the academic activities of seven government colleges of the capital to Dhaka University (DU). However, DU authorities have no jurisdiction over the administrative work of these seven colleges. Again there is no separate office and manpower for affiliated colleges in DU. As a result, many complications are often created, students are getting involved in the movement.
The students blocked the Neelkhet-Science Lab intersection of the capital from 12 noon to 3 pm on Monday with three-point demands, including the establishment of an independent public university consisting of seven colleges. It creates severe traffic jams on the surrounding roads, people suffer.
The demand of the students is- 1. A reform committee should be set up quickly to make it an autonomous public university with seven colleges; 2. The reform committee will discuss with the teachers-students and stakeholders of the seven colleges within 30 working days to formulate the framework for the establishment of an independent university and 3. The reform committee will work in coordination with the DU administration to maintain the current structure, so that the students’ session does not create an environment of complications.
If these three demands are not met within 24 hours, the students of seven colleges announced that they will go on strike again from Wednesday. Dhaka College student Abdur Rahman announced this program yesterday.
Among the demands that the students of seven colleges are often blocking the blue fields are relaxation of CGPA conditions and auto promotion. However, the students of these colleges reported some other problems. These are – identity crisis of students, classroom and teacher crisis, hasty examination routines, mass failure, discrimination in evaluation of examination papers and charging of extra fees for quality improvement examinations.
It is known from the inquiry that DU conducts all the academic activities including the formulation of syllabus, admission process, determination of examination procedure, awarding of certificates of these seven colleges. However, non-attendance of regular classes by teachers, delay in submission of result sheets, non-completion of syllabus on time, budget allocation and administrative activities are not under the authority of DU. As a result, if there is any complication in these matters, the university has nothing to do except to send a letter to the Ministry of Education.
DU’s Office of the Controller of Examinations says that seven colleges have improved in quality after affiliation. Every year 5 to 10 percent of students go to study abroad. At present there is no session congestion in these seven colleges. As in Dhaka University, the same rules are being followed in the case of students of seven colleges. However, the demand for auto promotion of students who have not passed the college does not go with the standards of Dhaka University.
A board consisting of college and university teachers prepares the examination papers of more than one and a half lakh students of these seven colleges. The test papers are evaluated by college or university teachers.
In the last meeting of the Deans Committee of Dhaka University, it was decided to make a separate unit for these seven colleges. But there is no progress in this regard. DU’s acting registrar Munshi Shams Uddin Ahmed said, ‘The proposal to make a separate unit for seven colleges was sent to the syndicate meeting. But there is no progress in this regard.’ He believes that making separate units for seven colleges will reduce the complexity.
The seven affiliated colleges are – Dhaka College, Eden Women’s College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul College, Begum Badrunnessa Government Women’s College, Mirpur Government Bangla College and Government Titumir College.
