Duta rejects move to enact common law for universities
DU Correspondent
Dhaka University Teachers' Association (Duta) yesterday rejected the government's proposed Umbrella Act 2007 for the country's 28 public universities terming it a "new version" of the University Ordinance 1961 imposed by military dictator Ayub Khan."We consider the draft of the umbrella act 2007 for public universities as a black law. This so-called act is a clear violation of the Public University Ordinance 1973, which is an outcome of the Liberation War," Duta General Secretary Prof Anwar Hossain said. "This is clear that the Umbrella Act 2007 is an ill attempt of the government to control the public universities by the University Grants Commission," he read out from a written statement at a press conference on the DU campus. At the press conference, Duta President Prof Sadrul Amin urged the government not to impose the umbrella act. Duta leaders expressed their concern that the autonomy and uniqueness of the public universities will be hampered and the universities will take the shape of a college or a school if the law is implemented. Each public university is separate from another public university and should be allowed to be run in an environment free from government control. One umbrella law for all public universities is not realistic, the DU teachers said. The Duta statement said the 1973 ordinance is held responsible for the corruption, irregularities and mismanagement in the four public universities, but it is the incidents of government interference in appointing the VCs and other top officials that have marred these universities' reputation. The University Grants Commission has already sent the draft of the Umbrella Act 2007 to the Ministry of Education. According to the draft, a search committee will select persons for all top posts of the public universities including the vice-chancellors, pro-vice-chancellors, treasures, syndicate members and deans. The president will form the search committee headed by a retired vice-chancellor. According to the Public University Ordinance 1973, syndicate members and deans are elected. The Duta leaders said any decision regarding the search committee without consulting the teachers of these public universities will be considered as government interference. Decisions on such crucial issues should be left for an elected government, they said.
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