VCs' corruption on campus

Vice Chancellors of several public universities stay in their own homes but draw house rent allowances

by ANWAR PARVEZ HALIM

Vice Chancellors of 21 of the country's 27 public universities are not residing in the official bungalows allocated to them. Some of them are living in rented houses and some in their own homes. Yet they are resorting to irregularities and corruption by drawing house rent allowances. This was revealed by sources in the University Grants Commission (UGC) who told PROBE that steps were to be shortly taken against these VCs.

Having the rank of a secretary, the VCs are given well-furnished bungalows on campus. They are provided with guards, peons, cooks and other staff for their official residences. The government bears the expense for the staff. There is provision for the VCs to draw house rent allowance of they do not stay in the official residence. In this case, the VCs of Dhaka University and Jahangirnagar University are entitled to house rent amounting to 50% of their basic salary; the VCs of Rajshahi and Chittagong University are entitled to house rent equal to 40% of their salary; and the VCs of the other public universities are entitled to house rent amounting to 30% to 35% of their basic salary.

The VCs of Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, Sher-e-Bangla University and Rajshahi University stay at their official residences on campus. The VC of the National University stays on premises rented by the university in Dhanmondi. None of them take any additional house rent.

The official bungalow of the VC of Shahjalal University was set on fire in a recent agitation movement and he is now living in the dormitory and is paying rent accordingly.

The VCs of the remaining 21 universities are not staying in their bungalows on campus. Most of them are staying in their own houses and yet are each drawing an average of 30 to 35 thousand taka a month in the name of house rent. And those living in rented houses are drawing a much higher house rent allowance than they are actually paying. A member of UGC says, 'This is absolutely unethical.'

Sources report that the Chittagong University VC's bungalow, situated on campus on a scenic hill, has been lying unused for the past 10 years despite having all furnishing and facilities. The CU VC lives in his own house and yet draws a monthly allowance of 40 thousand taka as house rent. The UGC member says that even though the official bungalow is not being used, a significant amount is being spent on its maintenance. 'And even the amount that the VC draws in the name of house rent,' adds the UGC member, 'exceeds the official amount due to him.'

The VC of Tangail's Bhasani University of Science and Technology lives in his own house at Uttara, Dhaka. He draws a monthly house rent of 40 thousand taka. Yet he is entitled to only 35% of his basic salary. The highest house rent in Tangail, near the university campus, would be 10 thousand taka at the most. Yet the VC is blatantly violating the rules.

The VC of Dinajpur University of Science and Technology is also not staying in his official residence. He has rented an entire three-storeyed house in the town for himself, his family as well as other relations. He has four guards for which the university is having to pay over 16 thousand taka a month.

The most serious charges are being levelled against the VC of Patuakhali University of Science and Technology. The former VC of this university had been extremely corrupt. However, the VC appointed in his stead appears to be equally corrupt. The VC of this university needs to have a degree in science, but the present VC has a degree in political science. He exerted his influence and resorted to irregularities to get this post.

It is alleged that VC, Abdul Latif Masum, was determined to get rid of the former corrupt VC, simply so he could get the post himself. He used a section of dishonest teachers of the university to this end by giving them undue facilities. In order to retain the office of VC, he even resorted to unfair means to promote Assistant Professor Nizamuddin to the rank of Associate Professor.

There is only one post of Executive Engineer in the university. Though there was already an engineer in the post, the corrupt teacher Nizamuddin appointed his brother-in-law Yunus Sharif to the post. This has come to the attention of UGC.

Former VP of Patuakhali University Mizanur Rahman Lithu was a former cadre of Chhatra Dal and brother-in-law of the teacher Nizamuddin and the unlawfully appointed engineer Yunus Sharif. Using their Hawa Bhaban connections, they carried out all sorts of irregularities in appointments and other activities. Now the present VC continues in the corruption.

After exhaustive inquiries, A UGC team has unearthed evidence of the former VC's involvement in massive financial discrepancies. The commission has drawn up a report against him. The present VC is equally corrupt. As his family is not with him, he lives on campus in a dormitory. Even so, he draws 30 thousand taka as monthly house rent. The university is situated in Dumki, an area far from Patuakhali town. It is hard to find a house for even as high as 10 thousand taka there. The VC has had to face the UGC for drawing this excessive house rent. He had no plausible explanation for this. In fact, he was obliged to return 100 thousand taka to the UGC.

VC uses three mobile telephones. He takes about 15 thousand to 16 thousand taka every month from the university to pay his mobile phone bills. He uses a Pajero SUV to travel between Patuakhali and Dhaka. That costs thousands of taka in fuel bills. UGC has sternly warned him and advised that he travel by steamer or launch.

The Islamic University at Kushtia also has a modern VC bungalow constructed at the cost of crores of taka. It lies vacant year after year. The VC draws a monthly house rent allowance rather than stay at this official residence. The same is happening at the other public universities.

A member of UGC tells PROBE that such irregularities have been persisting for long. Funds are being used to maintain these VC bungalows while the VCs are cunningly collecting house rent on the side. As the university syndicates are in the VCs' control, they are easily getting away with all these irregularities. The UGC member says, 'One can only imagine to what low level a teacher stoops to undertake such unethical activities.'

UGC has decided to take measures against these VCs. It has carried out investigations and gathered information in this regard.

UGC also had allegations against other teachers of the universities regarding house rent irregularities. According to the rules, if any teacher lives in the university quarters, he or she is not entitled to house rent. However, there are allegations that certain teachers are drawing house rent despite residing in the official quarters. They are cleverly cheating the authorities. UGC issued a stern warning to the VCs of Dhaka University and Rajshahi University in this regard. The teachers of these universities who live in the official quarters on campus are now no longer able to draw house rent. In Chittagong University, however, the irregularities in this connection persist. UGC will be sending letters to the VCs of all public universities shortly to put an end to this corruption.