The quality of education is deteriorating, while fees are rising uncontrollably.

In the 1990s, opportunities for higher education in Bangladesh were extremely limited. Only a handful of public universities existed, and they were unable to accommodate the growing demand from the country’s middle and upper-middle-class families. Consequently, many aspiring students sought education abroad in India, Europe, and North America, often funding their studies themselves. This led to a dual problem: significant talent drain and large financial outflows from the country.

Recognising this, the government enacted legislation in 1992 to allow the establishment of private universities, providing students the opportunity to pursue higher education domestically. Today, Bangladesh hosts 117 private universities. However, the majority fall short of basic academic standards while charging exorbitant tuition fees. Many institutions focus more on issuing certificates than providing genuine education.

Rapid Expansion, Lingering Deficiencies

In just three decades, the country has seen a surge in private universities. Yet, most face severe shortages of qualified faculty, laboratories, and library facilities. Many operate from rented buildings with only a handful of lecturers managing entire departments. Even established universities often lack essential student facilities such as hostels, sports grounds, and recreational spaces. This structural inadequacy significantly hampers the learning environment, resulting in graduates who are poorly equipped for the job market. Consequently, the country’s educated unemployment rate continues to rise.

A major governance issue lies with university trustee boards, which control recruitment, syllabus design, and almost all key decisions. Conflicts within these boards frequently disrupt academic and research activities, and, in some cases, members have been implicated in financial scandals. Such disputes severely undermine institutional effectiveness and compromise students’ education.

Tuition Fee Disparities

Private universities were intended to provide a quality alternative to public institutions. However, tuition fees have escalated unchecked. Despite the Private University Act of 2010 mandating consideration of socio-economic factors in fee-setting, universities largely ignore these guidelines, setting fees arbitrarily. The University Grants Commission (UGC) often functions merely as an observer rather than an enforcer.

A comparative illustration of tuition costs highlights this disparity:

For many students, this translates into annual educational expenses ranging from BDT 200,000 to over 350,000, excluding living costs. For instance, Abbas, a pharmacy student from Comilla, pays BDT 128,000 per semester including tuition and additional fees, while managing daily living expenses of BDT 11,000–12,000. His family, with modest incomes, struggles to sustain this financial burden.

Profit over Education

Increasingly, private universities prioritise profit over academic quality. While their statutes permit multiple sources of funding—including charitable donations, government loans, and university-generated income—most institutions rely almost entirely on tuition fees. Trustee boards justify high fees by citing limited alternative funding, yet the absence of investment in teaching quality indicates that profit, not education, drives these policies.

Unless the quality of education is addressed, private universities will continue to burden students financially while failing to produce competent, employable graduates. Immediate reform in governance, infrastructure, and curriculum modernisation is essential to align these institutions with their original mandate: delivering quality higher education accessible to all socio-economic groups.