Pvt University Bill passed

Campus on own land, sufficient reserved funds made mandatory
Parliament on Sunday passed a bill to streamline the private-run universities.
The House approved the bill on voice vote as the opposition BNP-led alliance lawmakers continued to abstain saying they were not allowed to speak. They said that they would return to parliament if proper atmosphere was restored and their microphones were not switched off.
The bill, when it becomes law, would make it mandatory for the private run universities to have campuses on their known land as well as sufficient reserved funds.
With certain amendments, parliamentary standing committee on education recommended the passage of the Private University Bill 2010, tabled by the education minister, Nurul Islam Nahid, in early March.
The bill, once it becomes law, will repeal the Private Universities Act enacted in 1998.
The new law would require a private university to have its own campuses on at least an acre of land in Dhaka and other cities and on a two-acre plot in the outlying districts.
The new law, Nahid said, would seek to expand quality education in the country.
It proposes a stipulation that would require a private university to reserve at least six per cent of the seats for the wards of freedom fighters and the poor meritorious students from backward urban areas free admission and teaching.
The new law would require a private university to submit the list of such students to the University Grants Commission at the end of each academic session.
It would require a private university in the capital city to have a mandatory reserved fund a Tk five crore deposited with a scheduled bank, Tk three crore in other cities, and Tk 1.5 crore in other places.
It would require a private university to refrain from activities that could infringe the country’s sovereignty and independence or go against the national interest.
It would also require a university to refrain from patronising or instigating terrorism and militancy in the country.
No institution local or foreign will be allowed to publicise advertisement seeking student’s admission without prior approval under the new law.
The home minister, Sahara Khatun, tabled a bill, proposing to regularise the services of Ansar personnel after nine years of temporary service, instead of existing 12 years.
Meanwhile, a parliamentary committee placed its report recommending passage of the Bangladesh Telecom (Amendment) Bill 2010, by balancing authority between the regulatory commission and the ministry to ensure a business and investment friendly atmosphere.
It chairman Hasanul Huq Inu, MP, placed the report, finalised in the committee last week.
The telecommunications minister, Raziuddin ahmed Raju, tabled the tabled on June 13, proposing to transfer much of the regulating authority to the ministry.
The bill, expected to be passed in the current session, also proposed tough punishments, including imprisonment and financial penalties against wrongdoers in telecom sector.
It proposed the formation of a three-member Telecom Appeal Board, headed by a person equivalent to a judge of the High Court Division of the Supreme Court, to deal with the offences. It would require the appeal board to dispose of the complaints in a maximum of 60 days.
It proposed that the authority of Bangladesh Telecommunications Regulatory Commission in issuing operators’ licenses and fixing tariffs be transferred to the ministry.
The standing committee recommended BTRC to look after the day-to-day affairs independently with prior approval of the government.
It called for ensuring greater transparency in the process of issuance licenses and fixing the charges, Inu said.
The committee recommended a maximum imprisonment of five years and a fine of Tk 300 crore for certain offences including violation of license contracts, causing insecurity to the state, creating divisions among the people through seditious activities using the telecom apparatus and networks under the proposed law.
But, said the standing committee, the charges must be proved in a court of law.
The minor offences, it recommended, should be dealt under the administrative authorities.
The authorities must, in these cases, assess the gravity of offence and the extent of revenue losses before determining the financial penalty, the committee recommended.
The committee recommended to amend the bill to make offences bail-able under the proposed law.

Courtesy of NewAge