DOT Desk: The Education Ministry has asked the University Grants Commission (UGC) to launch an investigation into the alleged financial irregularities in private universities, reports The Daily Sun.
In a letter to the UGC in November last year, the ministry said there are allegations of embezzlement of fund by trustee board members of some private universities.
The ministry also said the private universities are not submitting their audit reports regularly.
The letter signed by Deputy Education Secretary Zinnat Rehana asked UGC chairman Prof Abdul Mannan to take necessary steps to probe the allegations and take necessary action.
Sourced said the UGC has already launched the investigating, but there is no major progress till now.
After several media reports were published on the alleged irregularities at some private universities, the cabinet division earlier ordered the education ministry to look into this matter.
Allegations of fund embezzlement by trustee board members have been widespread for quite some time now. In many occasions, UGC Chairman Prof Abdul Mannan also said some private university owners consider the institutions as business entities though the universities are not a place for making money and the owners shouldn’t expect any return from the educational institutions.
As per rules, the private universities are bound to submit audit reporters by December 31 to the UGC every year but most of the universities are violating the rules.
There are allegations that many private universities do not submit audit reporters to hide their financial irregularities and corruption.
According to the annual report of UGC-2017 published in November, only 25 out of 83 private universities submitted their audit reports to the UGC.
A UGC official said, “It is clear that the private universities are reluctant in submitting their audit reports though it is mandatory for ensuring the transparency and finical discipline.”
Insiders said education ministry cannot take action against the private universities despite the irregularities for years as the owners of the universities are very influential persons.
More than 100 private universities were established in the country since 1992.
The private university act-2010 empowered the vice-chancellor of the private universities but they can not exercise their legal powers as the members of the board of trustees are more powerful.
About the audit report, Primeasia University Vice-chancellor of Prof Dr Abdul Hannan Chowdhury said “We are submitting our audit reports to the government regularly. We are transparent about our income and expenditure and this should be the case for every private university.”