Universities’ allocations not need-based: experts

Budgetary allocations at the universities are being given in a conventional lump-sum way without considering the needs of the institutions, and the allocation is not enough to continue improving quality of the universities, two economists said yesterday.

Former governor of Bangladesh Bank, Atiur Rahman and Professor M Abu Yusuf, director of Dhaka University’s Centre for Budget and Policy, made the observation in a keynote paper at a programme on DU campus.

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The seminar, titled “Budget for tertiary education to attain sustainable development goals”, was organised by the Centre on Budget and Policy and the Reading Club Trust at Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury auditorium.

“Budget in higher education sector should be given importance; budgetary allocation and infrastructural investment in research sector will have to be increased. At the same time, we have to take sustainable steps to ensure quality,” says the keynote paper.

Unemployment rates among the highly educated people of the country are higher, the two experts observed.

They also blamed corruption, lack of skilled manpower, and weak management in implementation of the budget, and said the budget plan should be formulated and implemented in coordination with institutional and political accountability.

Atiur Rahman, in his speech, also demanded separate education budget. 

The recommendations made by the duo include increasing budget allocation for higher education, linking higher education with the industry, revamping technical and vocational education and training, engaging private sector, financial support to students, promoting research and development, fostering start-up culture and ensuring policy support.

Addressing the programme as chief guest, Planning Minister MA Mannan said, “We are moving ahead, considering the past and various issues. Our goal is to deal with these issues and advance silently. We are not a revolutionary government, rather a democratic government with a compromising mentality.”

He said people often compare the allocation of developed countries and Bangladesh in research sector, but they have to keep in mind that Bangladesh is a least-developed country.

In response to the ongoing debate over the absence of DU among the 417 universities of Asia in a recent university ranking, he cited the lack of budgetary allocation in research and scholarships as major reasons. “Quality [of education] and good position in ranking cannot be achieved only with words,” he said.

DU Treasurer Professor Kamal Uddin, President of Dhaka University Teachers’ Association Professor ASM Maksud Kamal, Dean of Social Science Faculty Prof Sadeka Halim and Professor Niaz Ahmed Khan of Development Studies, among others, spoke on the occasion.