Private Varsities Reluctant to Provide FF Quota Facility

Despite having a moral duty to provide free studentship for children of freedom fighters (FF), many private universities do not offer a quota facility to students.

Under the Private University Act 2010, privately owned higher education entities are required to provide three percent of the children of freedom fighters with a free studentship.

Nevertheless, the most recent University Grants Commission (UGC) report published in 2019 reveals that 16 private universities did not offer FF quotas to any single student in 2018.

"Private universities should spontaneously provide children of freedom fighters with a 3% quota facility as per rule, but it is surprising that many of them are not doing so," said Prof. Kazi Shahidullah, President of the University Grants Commission ( UGC).

Talking to the media, the UGC Chief also said, "It is disappointing to note that some of the universities are breaching the requirements and guidelines laid out in the Private University Act, following frequent notices from the UGC that they are compliant with the provisions."

The Commission will take the appropriate steps in this issue, he said.

The latest UGC report published in 2019 reveals that there were a total of 3,61,792 students in 96 private universities in the country in 2018, but only 4,460 of them gained from the quota facility.

Many private higher education establishments deny children of the rights of combatants with a lottery system, which is a serious breach of the law.

The report also shows that at least 16 private universities did not enrol even a single student under the FF quota in 2018.

The 16 private institutions are University of Science and Technology Chittagong, International University of Business Agriculture and Technology, Gono Bishwabidyalay, Green University of Bangladesh, The Millennium University, Royal University of Dhaka, Victoria University of Bangladesh, EXIM Bank Agricultural University, Times University, North Bengal International University, German University Bangladesh, N.P.I University of Bangladesh, Rabindra Maitree University, University of Creative Technology, Central University of Science and Technology and University of Global Village. Although some private universities are following the FF quota, they gave this facility to only a few students to show that they are going by the rule.

The media investigation found that some private universities have not provided any student with a quota facility in the last five to six consecutive years.

Of them, the University of Science and Technology, Chittagong, has not supported any student with FF quotas in the last five years from 2014 to 2018.

None of the FF children have gained from the FF allocation service at the Millennium University in the last five years from 2014 to 2018.

EXIM Bank Agricultural University has not supported any student with the FF quota facility in the last five years from 2014 to 2018.

The German University of Bangladesh did not give the FF quota facility to any student for the last four years from 2015 to 2018.

A UGC official said, "The government has retained a clause in the act to provide the children of freedom fighters with a quota system so that they can get higher education free of charge."

"But it is a matter of great regret that most private universities are reluctant to provide FF quota facilities to students because of their commercial mentality," he added.

Although some institutions follow the FF quota, there are very few students who get full-free.

Brac University has accepted 3,664 students in 2018 and is required to offer a full-time studentship to nearly 110 students under the FF limit, but only 55 are qualified for the limit facility there.

Northern University is supposed to enrol 107 students under the FF quota, but only 12 enjoyed the quota facility in 2018.

Including the two bodies, several other respected colleges are still hesitant to pursue the FF limit. There are also reports that certain colleges are offering FF quota facilities to children of their families and recognized entities instead of FF students.

Expressing frustration, Sajjad Hossain, president of Amra Muktijoddhar Santan, a platform of Freedom Fighters‘ children, told the Daily Sun that the freedom fighters’ children are being deprived of the facilities at both public and private universities across the country.

He urged the university authorities to provide FF children with quota facilities in compliance with the current regulations in this matter.