Students are there, not facilities
The university at Netrokona, named after prime minister Sheikh Hasina, will observe its fourth anniversary soon. By now, only students are admitted here but they are not getting any sort of facility. The students of the Sheikh Hasina University are finishing their education life through crisis and mismanagement.
One of the second year students of Computer Science and Engineering Department (SE) seeking anonymity said, he took his admission in the university named after the PM with high hopes. But now he realized his decision was wrong. There are not sufficient facilities regarding teachers, class rooms, dormitory, research, canteen, sports and recreation. For this reason at least nine students out of 324 from various departments have migrated to other departments.
On 30 January 2017, the cabinet passed the Sheikh Hasina University Establishment law. The prime minister laid the foundation stone of the university on 11 October 2018 through video conference. After that, the university started its journey in a three-storied building of TTC in Rajur Bazar area of the city.
According to the university sources, from the academic year 2018-19, admission of students in Bengali, English, and Economics departments took place and from the next year the process began in Computer Science and Engineering department. The number of students in four departments under three faculties in the university is 315. And there are only 11 teachers. They all are lecturers.
Even in four years, the university has not appointed a professor or assistant professor. Several third year students of Bengali, English and Economics departments of the university said that their third year second semester exams are going on. Maybe the honours will end in another year. But they did not get the taste of the university even after so many months. They are getting education only from lecturers. They used to get some online classes from eminent teachers of Dhaka and Jahangirnagar University during Corona but that service is stopped currently.
The post of university registrar has been lying vacant since 3 January last year. Treasurer Subrata Kumar Aditya told Prothom Alo that due to Corona, the university's work has slowed down a bit. Notification was issued for the posts of professor, assistant professor, but suitable candidates did not apply.
A total of Tk 26.37 billion was approved by ECNEC for the development of the university immediately after its establishment. According to university construction project sources, about 500 acres of land has been acquired at a cost of Tk 2.77 billion in Rampur, Sahilpur, Gobindpur, Kandulia and Raydumruhi Mauza of Sadar Upazila. About Tk 2.40 billion has been allocated for filling 6.5 million cubic meters of sand in the low-lying area. On 28 September last year, the contract was given to M/S Nuruzzaman Khan. The work is expected to be completed by 27 March next year. But the average progress of work so far is only 22 per cent.
Apart from this, on 1 January, work orders were given for the construction of a 10-storey academic building at a cost of Tk 1.14 billion and a 4-storied administrative building at a cost of Tk 1.04 billion. The two buildings are expected to be completed by June. E-Engineering and Taher Brothers Ltd got the contract for academic building work. And the work of the administrative building was done by Biswas Trading and Construction. These two companies have just started piling work.
The university authorities have rented a two-storied building for the domicile facility of the students at the Satpai Pubodhala Road and Nagra area of the city. But there are accommodations for only 41 female students and 46 male students and rest of the students live by their own means.
Project director, additional secretary Anis Mahmud said the building work has been temporarily deferred due to corona. He informed the tender for a ten-storied male student dormitory, female student dormitory, TSC, library, medical and day-care are being processed.
Rafique Ullah Khan, a professor of Bangla from University of Dhaka was appointed as the vice chancellor. After his tenure was expired on 1 August, treasurer Subrata Kumar Aditya got responsibility as chancellor in charge.
On 1 September, Golam Kabir, a professor of Botany of University of Rajshahi was appointed as chancellor. Currently the University has total 56 teacher-officer-employees.
Former VC Rafiq Ullah Khan said, ‘I tried my best to bring dynamism to the university. We could not do everything in time due to corona. Teachers and officers-employees were appointed following UGC rules.
And new VC Golam Kabir on Monday said to Prothom Alo, “I will try to elevate the university to world level by using my experience of Rajshahi University. For that reason the support from local people is required.”