Can Bangladesh’s university teacher recruitment system break free of patronage?
For years, universities relied almost entirely on short oral examinations, sometimes no longer than 15 minutes, to recruit teachers. This leaves too much room for outside influence
Recently, a Facebook story of Professor Farid Uddin Khan, pro-vice chancellor of Rajshahi University, ignited a storm. The story showed an admit card of a candidate for a lecturer post, marked with the handwritten recommendation of a former Jamaat-e-Islami lawmaker.
The post spread across social media before it was deleted. Professor Khan quickly explained that the upload had been accidental. He admitted that he regularly received such calls and papers, but stressed that they had no influence on recruitment decisions.
The politician who made the recommendation also defended his action, saying he had only asked that the candidate's record be reviewed.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
The brief episode of the drama revealed a deep problem in the teacher recruitment system in our universities and broadly, our education system. In the eyes of many, it was another reminder of how political networks and patronage have long shaped the recruitment of university teachers in Bangladesh.
Expectations of change have grown after last year's July Uprising. When the movement toppled the government, many hoped that universities would also experience reform. Recruitment of teachers had for years been the subject of public suspicion. Allegations of nepotism, political favour, and money changing hands were widely circulated.
The University Grants Commission's (UGC) latest report records more than 16,000 teachers across 53 public universities. In 2009 there were around 9,000. At least 8,800 new teachers have entered in the past 15 years, making up more than half the current faculty. Yet a significant portion of these appointments, critics argue, carry the stain of irregularity.
Despite government action elsewhere in the state after July, little has been done in higher education.
The most common grievance is that for years universities relied almost entirely on short oral examinations, sometimes no longer than 15 minutes. For many, this left too much room for outside influence.
As Professor Kamrul Hassan Mamun of Dhaka University observed, a flawed recruitment does lasting harm.
"For 35 years, thousands of students will be deprived of the chance to learn from a good teacher," he wrote on his Facebook post. "An unqualified teacher not only delivers poor education but damages the university environment itself." He argued that multi-layered filtering, as practised worldwide, is the only way to avoid such errors.
However, some universities, although a handful, are coming forward to improve the situation. At the University of Chittagong (CU), the syndicate amended its recruitment policy earlier this year. Written examinations, presentations, and oral tests were introduced in place of the old viva-only system.
After taking office following the July Uprising, Vice-Chancellor Professor Mohammad Yahya Akhter said, "It was clear that qualified teachers were not being appointed, and as a result, we were unable to produce quality graduates."
He defended the new multi-stage process. "Even in primary schools, candidates must pass through three stages of examination," he told journalists recently. "It did not seem reasonable that our highest institutions of learning should recruit teachers on the basis of a single oral test."
The written examination, worth 50 marks, is followed by presentation and oral stages. Only candidates who score at least 60% proceed beyond the first round. "A good result alone does not guarantee that someone will be a good teacher," the VC said. "The presentation and oral stages test delivery and analytical ability."
"In the past, appointments were often made after only a 10- or 15-minute viva, which left room for influence. That does not mean no good teachers were appointed, but the risks were greater. A good teacher is essential, and without competent teachers many student cohorts suffer for years."
So far, the system has been applied in three departments, with further tests planned. One candidate described the change as a relief. "In the past it seemed inappropriate that a single oral exam should decide everything. The new structure feels fairer," the candidate said.
However, there were criticisms of this process as well. A candidate, Solaiman Rafi, who recently sat for the recruitment exam at CU, expressed his frustration in a Facebook post. He pointed out that the exam was held in the morning and the result was published by the evening, raising doubts about whether the evaluation was done with due care.
"We spent months preparing for the exam, but the process itself felt unfair," he wrote. According to him, such a short gap between the test and the results makes the entire recruitment seem questionable. "If the authorities cannot ensure fairness, what is the value of our effort?" he noted.
Noakhali Science and Technology University (NSTU) has gone further, adding a structured evaluation of academic records before any test.
Pro-Vice-Chancellor Professor Mohammad Razuanul Hoque described a four-stage system.
First comes academic excellence, measured through Honours, Master's, doctoral work, publications, and patents. Then a written exam, presentations and a final viva.
"The combined score across these four stages is 100," he said. "The candidate with the highest score is recruited. This process has been approved by our Regent Board."
He acknowledged that the written stage has faced criticism, but defended it as a necessary filter when large numbers apply. "In the past, appointments were often made after only a 10- or 15-minute viva, which left room for influence," he said. "That does not mean no good teachers were appointed, but the risks were greater. A good teacher is essential, and without competent teachers many student cohorts suffer for years."
At the UGC, work is underway to draft a national policy.
Professor Dr Saidur Rahman, one of its members, pointed to the example of BUET, where recruitment is based entirely on academic results.
"If three teachers are to be recruited, the first, second and third are appointed. If one, then only the first. Nothing can supersede the results achieved over four years," he said.
He argued that this approach removes political or any other bias. "When results are prioritised, there is no scope for favour," he said. However, he noted that integrity is essential wherever written tests are used.
