Private university with state money!

Sanjoy Kumar Barua

A Pvt university in Bandarban spent Tk 10 crore of the government’s fund to construct its building.

The university is founded by Bir Bahadur U Shwe Sing, minister for the Ministry of Chattogram Hill Tracts Affairs, and his brother-in-law Kwe Shwe Hla, who is also the chairman of Bandarban Hill District Council (BHDC), according to the university’s website.

Although the university claimed to be the country’s first public-private partnership university on its website, the website of University Grants Commission (UGC) listed it as a private university.

Md Omar Faruque, director of Private University Division at UGC, said, “Bandarban University is a private university, while Bandarban district administration allotted hundred acres of land in the name of this university. Bandarban University was established as per the Private University Act, 2010.”

“Following the approval from the Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs we constructed the building of Bandarban University spending Tk 10 crore”, said Mohammad- Harun Or Roshid, member-implement of Chittagong Hill Tracts Development Board (CHTDB).

Contacted, Jahangir Alam, joint secretary (admin branch) of the CHT affairs ministry, said,”I don’t know anything how a private University was constructed with the approval of ministry. I have to check the details.”

When asked, whether the district administration can allocate 100 acres of land for setting up a private university, Shah Mujahid Uddin deputy commissioner of Bandarban said, “I don’t know anything about this, I can’t comment on this without seeing the documents.”

Earlier, following the approval from the CHT affairs ministry Bandarban Hill District Council (BHDC) also spent Tk 1.35 crore of the government’s fund to construct its water supply channel, said, Mong Oyai Ching Marma, assistant engineer of BHDC in 2020.

Bandarban Hill District Council (BHDC), also razed several hills in Sualok union of Bandarban Sadar upazila to build a road spending Tk 1.5 crore for Bandarban University (BU).

Moreover, another project, with an approved funding of Tk 5.74 crore, is being undertaken by Local Government Engineering Department (LGED) in Bandarban to reinforce the same road.

Md Mahbubur Rahman, Former executive engineer of BHDC, said, “We had cut several hills to make the road for Bandarban University.”

Earlier, Former Bandarban LGED Executive Engineer NSM Zillur Rahman said, “Upon request from Bir Bahadur, the hill tracts minister, we also took on a project to improve the road of Bandarban University funding Tk 5.74 crore.”

Chattogram Hill Tracts Affairs Minister Bir Bahadur U Shwe Sing could not be reached after repeated attempts over his phone.