Why do graduates have to spend so much on convocations?

There are more than 150 universities in the country at the moment. Most of these universities organise convocations every year or every other year. The world over, students don't have to pay an extra penny to attend convocations or to get their certificates. However, in Bangladesh, students must pay a registration fee to participate in these convocations. 

Universities have started charging thousands of taka from graduates to hand out official certificates, just when fresh graduates are busy looking for jobs after graduation. As a result, being unable to raise the hefty registration fee, many students are deprived of one of the best experiences of university life.

Depending on the university, an average fee of Tk4–15 thousand per person is collected for convocations. It is alleged that even half of the amount collected is not spent on students and the universities earn Tk1-4 crore per convocation from such registration fees.

Many students have to refrain from getting the certificate with their friends as they can't afford the registration fee imposed by the university. But why should our students pay huge sums of money for a programme organised for a few hours to preserve the happy memories of their university life? 

In the case of public universities, when the government spends lakhs of taka per capita annually, why does the university administration need to collect this money from the students in the name of conferring certificates?

According to the notice signed by the university's registrar on 8 October last year, a Tk3,000 registration fee for undergraduates, Tk4,000 for postgraduates, Tk5,000 for PhDs, and Tk7,000 for evening postgraduates was set for Dhaka University's 53rd convocation. The graduates must also pay an additional three hundred takas to receive the original certificate. 

Convocation fees increase by a few thousand taka every year. Still, on the day of the convocation, the university authorities do not even show the courtesy of providing a proper lunch.

The graduates are given an invitation letter, a gown which must be returned and some memorabilia against the registration fee. According to the website open for the convocation of Dhaka University, there were 30 thousand 348 applicants to participate in the 53rd convocation. 

Taking this number as an average and calculating the registration fee charged from postgraduate students, it can be observed that the university earns Tk1 crore 21 lakh for this convocation alone. The university administration would be able to explain on what pretext this hefty registration fee is charged and why, or the arbitrariness of increasing the registration fee year after year.

Not only the University of Dhaka but all the public universities of Bangladesh are currently collecting these exorbitant registration fees from the students to organise the convocation ceremony. When the government has been spending Tk1 lakh 85 thousand annually on a student, while the student has to pay a monthly fee of just Tk12-15, that student must pay a Tk576 fee to the university treasury after completing four years of graduation. Is there any justification?

The question may arise: since the graduates are not forced to participate in the convocation, where is the problem for the authorities if those willing to take the official certificate can spend money? Those who do not have the financial means to pay the registration fee can get the certificate without attending the ceremony by paying the certificate fee of Tk300. 

The most joyous day in a student's life is the convocation. The beauty of the university is the tradition of giving formal certificates to everyone on the day of the convocation. Depriving ordinary students of this programme is unethical for any university.

Organising a multi-crore event is never logical. The budget of lakhs of taka in the name of the convocation speaker also falls into the luxury category. The university's job is to hand over the certificate to the students after completion of graduation or post-graduation at the stipulated time, not charging extra fees in the name of handing over the certificate.

Can the administration of universities say in which sector this registration fee is used for convocation? Exactly on what logic is the registration fee increased every year? 

Instead, when the government shows generosity and does not hesitate to spend lakhs of takas annually for a student's higher education, the university administration contradicts the government's higher education policy by picking convocation as a source of income. 

It should be remembered that in our country, the people have given students the opportunity to study in public universities with a monthly fee of Tk15. So, the university administration is responsible for providing certificates to all university graduates without charging a ridiculous fee. If the government can afford to spend lakhs of takas, then it should not be a problem for the government to bear the cost of the formal ceremony of distributing these certificates.

Instead, our university should also invite the parents of meritorious students to the graduation ceremony. Sit the rickshaw puller's father in front of the stage. Invite these hardworking fathers and famous foreign convocation speakers to the convocation and listen to the stories of their struggles.

The university administration should remember that the way these parents have educated their children at their university and who are struggling to get that certificate for their children are the real beacons of our society, the people whose dreams this city is still shining for, and they may be allowed to get seats in the convocation. 

So the government should soon stop this 'convocation business' of public universities. The University Grants Commission does not see it as an additional sector of the annual income of the university. Moreover, It is the responsibility of the university administration to make the last event of a student's academic life joyful. 

Dr Rakib Al Hasan is a physician, author and activist.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and views of The Business Standard.