UGC forms anti-militant committee for universities

University Grants Commission of Bangladesh (UGC) on has formed a three-member committee to monitor all public and private colleges and universities whether there is any militant activity following the deadly terrorist attacks in city’s Gulshan and Solakia.

Dr Md Akhter Hossain, convener of the UGC will lead the committee where the two others are UGC members Jesmine Parveen and Md Shaheed Siraj.

The commission also recommended that the government bring amendment in the Private University Act 2010 so that its representatives can be inducted in the board of trustee of different institutions to oversee its activities.

It came up with the recommendation in the wake of the recent terror attacks at a Gulshan café in Dhaka on July 1 and at Sholakia Eidgah in Kishoreganj on the Eid day (July 7).

The team, if necessary, will visit college and universities or colleges and libraries any time without any prior permission of the authorities, UGC Chairman Prof Abdul Mannan said at a press briefing in the capital’s Agargaon.

After visiting the campuses, if the committee senses any militant activities on the campus, it will prepare and submit a report to the education ministry and law enforcing agencies for taking necessary action, Prof Mannan added.

Recently, UGC sent a team to North South University, a private university, to take some important documents but the authorities are yet to provide them, Prof Mannan said.

The commission visited the university after law enforcers found the involvement of some NSU students with the Gulshan and Sholakia attacks last month.

The UGC gave NSU authorities one month to submit the documents. If they fail, they will face legal action, he added.