UGC's clarification

On behalf of the UGC, we would like to differ with some of the comments made in your editorial against the UGC. For example, "it moved slowly and many vacancies were left unfilled" the statement made by the Daily Star is not true. As a matter of fact, for filling vacant positions the university does not require to take permission from the UGC. The university ordinance of 1973 has authorized the syndicate of the universities to do the needful in this respect. The present government after the assumption of power, sent a circular, advising all the government, semi-government and public corporations to seek permission from the honorable Prime Minister's office before advertising the vacant posts. This was done with a view to rationalizing recruitment in public organizations. As such new recruitment in the universities falls under the purview of the circular. The circular is applicable to all public organizations, so it is nothing specific only for the universities.

So, the complaints against the UGC that it moved so slowly and many vacancies were left unfilled in the UGC do not arise at all. Only in the case of creation of new posts, the universities approach through the UGC and UGC decides these cases promptly in its normal procedures.

The Daily Star has mentioned that "if the UGC is underperforming then it can be reformed." For your kind information, the UGC is not under performing at all you will be glad to know that the UGC in recent times has taken up a number of very important measures for establishing financial, administrative and academic disciplines in the universities and also to improve the standard and quality of higher education in Bangladesh.