Dhaka City College: Appointments of 105 out of 198 teachers found to be irregular

A government inspection has found that 105 of the 198 teachers at Dhaka City College, one of Bangladesh’s best-known private colleges, were appointed in violation of the applicable recruitment rules.

The report also alleges that the college failed to deposit more than Tk 2.8 million in Value Added Tax (VAT) and nearly Tk 300,000 in income tax into the government treasury. In addition, the college’s governing body allegedly received nearly Tk 17.5 million in honoraria in violation of regulations.

These findings are contained in an inspection and audit report prepared by the Directorate of Inspection and Audit (DIA) under the Ministry of Education.

The report was finalised on 14 July, and on 19 July DIA Director Professor M M Shahidul Islam forwarded it to the Secretary of the Ministry’s Secondary and Higher Education Division.

The inspection itself was conducted in August 2022 by then Assistant Education Inspector Moniruzzaman and Audit Officer Chandan Kumar Deb. After completing the necessary follow-up procedures, the report was finalised.

Speaking to Prothom Alo yesterday, Professor Shahidul Islam said that the report documented all the objections and irregularities identified during the inspection and audit. It has now been submitted to the ministry, which will take further action in accordance with the relevant regulations.

Established in 1957, Dhaka City College currently offers Higher Secondary, Bachelor’s, Honours, and Master’s degree programmes. At the time of the inspection, the college had 10,811 students.

The institution was initially government-aided and later brought under the Monthly Pay Order (MPO) scheme. However, its MPO benefits were withdrawn in 1999, meaning the government no longer subsidises salaries and benefits for its teachers and staff. The college is currently outside the MPO list.

Attempts to obtain comments from Acting Principal Kazi Neyamul Haque regarding the report were unsuccessful. Calls to his mobile phone rang but were not answered.

105 appointments made in violation of regulations

One section of the report lists 100 teachers whose appointments did not comply with the 1982 Recruitment Rules.

According to the report, the recruitment process involved only newspaper advertisements and interviews. However, no representative from the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education or the National University was included on the recruitment board.

Moreover, the legally required recruitment committee was not formed. The report also states that no evidence was presented showing that the governing body had approved these appointments. Consequently, the appointments were deemed not to have been made in accordance with the law.

Another section of the report names five additional teachers whose appointments also failed to comply with the 1982 Recruitment Rules. In these cases, no newspaper advertisements were published, no recruitment committee comprising representatives from the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education and the National University was formed, and even interviews were not conducted. As a result, these appointments were likewise found to be irregular.

Among the 105 teachers named in the two sections are 18 professors. The others hold positions as associate professors, assistant professors, lecturers, and demonstrators.

The report further states that an examination of the institution’s staffing pattern found that the college employs more teachers and staff than permitted under the staffing structure for private educational institutions, the MPO policy, and National University guidelines.

It also notes that 34 professors and 47 associate professors have been receiving salaries and benefits in the fourth and fifth government pay grades, respectively, without proper authorisation.

Financial irregularities

According to the report, financial information provided by the college shows that, instead of making all payments through bank cheques, as required, more than Tk 7.277 million was retained and spent in cash over nine fiscal years, in violation of financial regulations.

An analysis of the college’s financial records found that Tk 2.8 million in VAT, covering the period from the 2012–13 fiscal year through June of the 2020–21 fiscal year, should have been deposited into the government treasury.

The report instructs the college to deposit the amount through a treasury challan and submit proof of payment to the Ministry of Education. Similarly, it directs the college to deposit Tk 292,000 in income tax that was not deducted at source and provide the corresponding treasury challan.

The report also states that members of the governing body received Tk 19.734 million as sitting allowances from the 2012–13 fiscal year until the time of the audit, despite such payments being contrary to regulations. The college has been instructed to return the money to the government treasury and submit proof of payment to the ministry.

Academic performance rated satisfactory

Despite the administrative and financial irregularities, the report expresses satisfaction with the college’s academic management and examination results.

Dhaka City College owns 394.3 decimals of land, which the report says is sufficient for the institution’s needs. The campus contains 180 rooms, although the buildings require maintenance and renovation. The college also has safe drinking water and separate washroom facilities for male and female students.

The inspectors noted that lesson plans are prepared at the beginning of each academic year and distributed to students, with regular classes conducted accordingly and teaching aids used in classrooms. They also observed that weaker and less attentive students are identified and provided with additional academic support.

The college has a separate library containing more than 24,000 books, as well as dedicated science laboratories equipped with an adequate number of scientific instruments relative to the student numbers.

The report concludes that the quality and overall results of the college’s Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) examinations are satisfactory. However, it recommends that all teachers continue making sincere efforts to improve academic performance further.