Proposed university for Dhaka’s 7 colleges to offer 40% online, 60% in-person classes

The proposed 'Dhaka Central University' for seven government colleges will hold 40% of the classes online and the remaining 60% in person.

"It will be an interdisciplinary and hybrid university where 40% of the classes will be held online and 60% in-person. All examinations will be conducted in person," said Md Mojibur Rahman, additional secretary (routine charge) of the Secondary and Higher Education Division, at a press conference at the secretariat today (4 August).

The briefing was arranged to inform the media about the progress in establishing the proposed university for the seven colleges.

Mojibur Rahman said all the students will study non-major courses during the first four semesters.

In the next four semesters, they will take major courses based on their chosen discipline.

"Students will be allowed to change their discipline at the beginning of the fifth semester if they meet certain conditions but campus transfers will not be permitted," he said.

The academic and research activities will be organised based on four schools, spread across the seven colleges.

School of Science: Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Begum Badrunnesa Government Women's College; School of Arts and Humanities: Government Titumir College; School of Business: Government Titumir College; School of Law and Justice: Kabi Nazrul Government College and Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College.

The main campus of the proposed university will be set up at a centrally convenient location, Mojibur Rahman said.

He said the colleges will continue offering higher secondary education, and education cadre officers will remain posted there.

Once the university is fully operational, teachers for the tertiary level will be appointed following university recruitment standards, he said.

The ordinance for establishing the new university is expected to be issued within this year and the upcoming admission process will follow the existing procedures.

The additional secretary said the proposed university's academic and administrative affairs will be governed by an academic council, a senate, and a syndicate.

The university will appoint a proctor along with one male and one female deputy proctor at each of the seven colleges, making a total of 14 deputy proctors.

Five of the seven colleges will continue operating higher secondary sections.

Undergraduate and higher secondary students will share campus facilities through a time, space, and resource-sharing model, he said.

"All students will receive laptops and essential accessories in their first year and arrangements will be made to provide low-cost internet services," he added.

When asked about the status of current teachers, UGC member Prof Tanzimuddin Khan said, "The fundamental nature of the colleges will remain unchanged. They will continue as colleges, and existing teachers will remain in their posts under the current structure."

"Once the university is fully functional, its academic structure will be separate from the colleges. University teachers will be appointed through standard university recruitment processes. Eligible college teachers may apply and join the university through the existing process if they wish."

The seven colleges—Dhaka College, Eden Mohila College, Begum Badrunnesa Government Women's College, Government Titumir College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul Government College, and Government Bangla College—were affiliated with the National University in 1992.

In 2017, to address academic and administrative challenges under the National University, the colleges were affiliated with Dhaka University.

Later, students demanded that the affiliation be revoked due to worsening problems and instead called for a new independent university to govern the colleges.

On 24 October last year, a committee was formed to evaluate the students' demands.

A high-level expert committee recommended the formation of a university for the seven colleges and submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Education.

University Grants Commission Chairman Prof SMA Faiz, interim administrator of the seven colleges and Dhaka College Principal Prof AKM Elias were, among others, present at the press conference.