New government faces thousand-crore taka burden over Dhaka Central University

The newly established Dhaka Central University, formed during the final days of the interim government, faces significant financial and administrative challenges that now burden the new administration.

The university, established through an ordinance on 9 February, aims to integrate Dhaka’s seven major government colleges into a single autonomous entity. However, education officials estimate that the university requires at least Tk1,000 crore to become fully operational—a massive financial liability for the Ministry of Education.

The seven affiliated institutions include Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Begum Badrunnessa Government Women's College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kavi Nazrul Government College, Government Bangla College, and Government Titumir College. Previously under Dhaka University, these colleges now form the backbone of the new university under a "school" system similar to the Open University.

Despite the ordinance, the university remains in a state of flux. The interim government appointed Professor Dr ASM Md Abdul Hasib of BUET as the Vice-Chancellor (VC) on 12 February. However, sources within the ministry claim that the VC currently lacks a permanent office or administrative support, leaving the institution's operations in disarray. Furthermore, a planned allocation of Tk300 crore to kickstart activities this fiscal year stalled following the transfer of the former Education Secretary.

Academic concerns also persist. While the university inherits over 100,000 existing students from the seven colleges, it currently lacks the infrastructure and faculty to maintain academic standards. "Building a university is not easy," a professor from one of the colleges remarked on 25 February. "Unlike other new public universities that start with a few hundred students, this one must manage a massive student body immediately. Reaching the standards of the National University will take a long time."

The ordinance specifies that students will secure admission into either the main campus or the integrated colleges based on merit. Until the government constructs a permanent campus, the university will operate from temporary facilities. Former Dhaka College Principal IK Selimullah Khondaker expressed hope that the new structure would preserve the heritage of the colleges while focusing on quality education rather than just conducting examinations.