UGC to be higher edu commission: PM

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said the University Grants Commission (UGC) will be transformed into the Higher Education Commission and a draft law in this regard is at final stage.

The prime minister said this while addressing the Prime Minister Gold Medal Award distribution ceremony at her office yesterday.

She showered praises on teachers saying that their dignity is above everything as there is no way to compare teachers with others.

"Still, my head bows down whenever I see my teachers because we learned so much from them," she said, mentioning the names of her teachers -- Prof Anisuzzaman and Prof Rafiqul Islam -- who were present at the function.

Mentioning that a student might be in a dignified position one day but a teacher is always above him or her, she added, "I may be the prime minister, but the honour of my teacher is far above me." 

University Grants Commission (UGC) organised the function with its Chairman Prof Dr Abdul Mannan in the chair. Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid also spoke on the occasion.

Congratulating medal recipients, the prime minister said the power of talent is eternal. “Use the talent and skill to prosper in life and acquire what is good for the nation and individual,” she told the students.

She suggested the recipients to work for the underprivileged section of society saying their 'medal is not only a medal' but a responsibility to take the nation forward.

To improve the quality of higher education and meet the international standard, she said the government is implementing a project titled "Higher Education Quality Improvement."

Laying emphasis on making the higher education affordable for the common people, the prime minister reiterated her commitment to establish at least one university in every district under public or private initiatives.

Hasina mentioned that the World Bank is going to provide another Tk 1312.26 crore for improving the quality of education. Earlier, the prime minister distributed medal and a certificate to each of the 166 recipients of different public universities.