Prove it or apologise, Nahid tells TIB
Terming the Transparency International Bangladesh’s recent report on corruption at private universities baseless, Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid today asked the watchdog to place evidence in support of their allegations.
Otherwise, TIB will have to withdraw their survey or offer apology to the nation, Nahid said at the parliament today.
On June 30, the TIB published report of a study saying that private universities are involved in transactions of "illegal money" at different stages -- from taking approvals for setting up a university to awarding certificates to students.
“This is a baseless report prepared to tarnish the image of the government,” the education minister said today.
They conducted the survey for two years but they did not go even for a single time neither to the ministry nor the Uuniversity Grants Commission to talk with about it, Nahid claimed.
The TIB report titled 'Private Universities: Challenges of good governance and way out' revealed that around Tk 1 crore to Tk 3 crore are exchanged for the approval for launching a private university and Tk 50,000 to Tk 2 lakh for getting nods for appointing vice chancellors, pro-vice chancellors and treasurers.
Two days after publication of the report, the education ministry trashed it saying TIB's “sweeping” statement on transactions of money for setting up universities and appointing VCs, pro-VCs and treasurers was “false”.
It also claimed that the TIB didn't even contact any official of the ministry while conducting the study, between June 2012 and May this year.
In reply, the watchdog said it had conducted the study to help establish good governance in the sector, not with a view to undermining any individual or institution.
International standards were followed while conducting the study and information was collected from stakeholders concerned with the sector, TIB said in a statement yesterday.
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