Monday, 25 April 2011
VC HAS TK 1,200 CRORE IN PERSONAL BANK ACCOUNT Rampant corruption at Asian University: ACC urged to probe Author / Source: Siddiqur Rahman Khan
Dhaka Apr 24: The education ministry has asked the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to take action against the authorities of Asian University of Bangladesh for their alleged involvement in a number of corrupt activities including selling course certificates. In a Wednesday letter to the ACC chairman, the ministry said immediate action should be taken against the private university authorities to stop corruption and save the careers of thousands of students.
“Our probe has found that the Asian University vice-chancellor has Tk. 1,200 crore in his personal bank account and owns a luxurious house worth about Tk. 20 crore,” the letter said.
The letter also stated that recently the vice-chancellor, Abudlhasan Mohammad Sadeq, illegally transferred Tk. 120 crore to his own account from Rangpur Regional Centre.
It further stated that though the private university has been given permission to offer distance education only for B.Ed course, it provides distance education courses for six subjects flouting the ministry order.
Urging for immediate action against the university authorities and further investigations, if necessary, the education ministry letter alleged that the university authorities are illegally running 18 regional resources centres to sell certificates.
The university, in its 2007 convocation, was allowed to distribute certificates to 1531 graduates but it actually distributed 6,020 more certificates, the ministry letter said. “In the latest convocation, which has been postponed, the authorities were planning to distribute nearly 7,000 more certificates illegally,” it added.
Earlier, the ministry has decided that Asian University will not be allowed to hold its convocation to distribute certificates, due to widespread corruption and frequent flouting of government orders. It is mandatory to distribute certificates through a convocation.
Asian University vice-chancellor was unavailable for comment.
According to the latest annual report of the University Grants Commission, the university has 11,866 students and 489 teachers, of whom 354 are part-timers.
The university has been operating from a rented house since its inception in 1996, although the law makes it mandatory for any such institute to shift operations to its own campus within five years of inception.
An education ministry official said: “In late 2006, the university decided to open branches in the Middle East for expatriate Bangladeshis and foreigners. Back then, we were able to stall the varsity’s move to set up certificate selling centres abroad.”
“Now, an influential person, who was also the lawyer for the university in the past, is helping the institute through his connections in the government,” he added
VC HAS TK 1,200 CRORE IN PERSONAL BANK ACCOUNT Rampant corruption at Asian University: ACC urged to probe Author / Source: Siddiqur Rahman Khan
Dhaka Apr 24: The education ministry has asked the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to take action against the authorities of Asian University of Bangladesh for their alleged involvement in a number of corrupt activities including selling course certificates. In a Wednesday letter to the ACC chairman, the ministry said immediate action should be taken against the private university authorities to stop corruption and save the careers of thousands of students.
“Our probe has found that the Asian University vice-chancellor has Tk. 1,200 crore in his personal bank account and owns a luxurious house worth about Tk. 20 crore,” the letter said.
The letter also stated that recently the vice-chancellor, Abudlhasan Mohammad Sadeq, illegally transferred Tk. 120 crore to his own account from Rangpur Regional Centre.
It further stated that though the private university has been given permission to offer distance education only for B.Ed course, it provides distance education courses for six subjects flouting the ministry order.
Urging for immediate action against the university authorities and further investigations, if necessary, the education ministry letter alleged that the university authorities are illegally running 18 regional resources centres to sell certificates.
The university, in its 2007 convocation, was allowed to distribute certificates to 1531 graduates but it actually distributed 6,020 more certificates, the ministry letter said. “In the latest convocation, which has been postponed, the authorities were planning to distribute nearly 7,000 more certificates illegally,” it added.
Earlier, the ministry has decided that Asian University will not be allowed to hold its convocation to distribute certificates, due to widespread corruption and frequent flouting of government orders. It is mandatory to distribute certificates through a convocation.
Asian University vice-chancellor was unavailable for comment.
According to the latest annual report of the University Grants Commission, the university has 11,866 students and 489 teachers, of whom 354 are part-timers.
The university has been operating from a rented house since its inception in 1996, although the law makes it mandatory for any such institute to shift operations to its own campus within five years of inception.
An education ministry official said: “In late 2006, the university decided to open branches in the Middle East for expatriate Bangladeshis and foreigners. Back then, we were able to stall the varsity’s move to set up certificate selling centres abroad.”
“Now, an influential person, who was also the lawyer for the university in the past, is helping the institute through his connections in the government,” he added