Govt plans to set up six more universities

The government is planning to establish six more public universities in four districts, which have no such universities.

In a letter on Thursday, the education ministry's Secondary and Higher Education Division sought the University Grants Commission's opinions on setting up five universities in Narayanganj, Natore, and Meherpur.

One of them will be a general university named after Father of The Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in Narayanganj. Two agricultural universities will be built in Natore. One of those will be named after eminent scientist and husband of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina late Dr MA Wazed Miah.

Besides, two agricultural universities will be established in Meherpur. One of them will be built at the constituency of lawmaker Farhad Hossain, also state minister for public administration, says the letter.

Earlier on June 21, the Secondary and Higher Education Division urged the UGC to formulate a draft law for setting up a university in Naogaon. The bill needs to be passed by parliament to build a university.

The government is trying to establish public universities in the districts, where there are no such universities.

In 2010, there were 33 public universities in the country, and now the number is 46.

Currently, 46 universities are in 23 districts. Of them, nine are in Dhaka, five each in Gazipur and Chattogram, three each in Sylhet, Rajshahi, and Khulna, two in Mymensingh, one is each in Dinajpur, Rangpur, Netrakona, Sirajganj, Jamalpur, Tangail, Pabna, Kushtia, Jashore, Gopalganj, Cumilla, Barishal, Patuakhali, Noakhali, and Rangamati, according to the UGC.

Establishment of permanent campus of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Aviation and Aerospace University in Lalmonirhat is going on.