University Grants Commission (UGC) has formed a three-member anti-militancy committee to monitor the public and private universities amid growing security tension over their students' involvement in terrorist activities.
The country's security experts and academicians have hailed the move for keeping the higher education institutions under surveillance. But they have expressed doubt over fruitful implementation of the move by the commission that has immense capacity constraints. UGC officials said they took the decision of forming the body in the wake of recent terrorist attacks, where involvement of university students surfaced.
They said Dr Md Akhter Hossain will lead the committee as the convener. Its two other members are Jesmine Parveen and Md Shaheed Siraj, who will act as dealing officers.  
When contacted, UGC Chairman Professor Abdul Mannan said the special body can visit any public and private university without prior notice, and can seek any information they require.
"Yes, we've resource constraints regarding manpower and other logistics. However, we've no other option but to combat the possible sources of militancy in the higher educational institutions."
He said the commission will enhance monitoring activities in the form of raising the number of team members in the future, if necessary.
Seeking anonymity, a senior UGC official said educational institutions, especially the privately-operated ones, did not pay any heed to the findings of the commission, which has little authority to enforce any regulation.
"Highly influential individuals are operating the private universities.  A couple of months ago we issued a show-cause notice to a leading private university regarding militancy, and asked them to respond within a month. But they haven't responded yet. We are exercising this type of power," he added.
In another development, the government has planned to amend the existing Private University Act 2010, and formed another high-powered committee under the leadership of a lawmaker to make a set of recommendations to prevent any scope militancy in the educational institutions.
The committee suggested appointing an observer from the state, like the banking sector, at the board of trustees of the private universities to observe running those institutions.
The people engaged in the process said the observer will have no authority to intervene in the activities of the trustee board, which is the decision-making wing of a private university.
Hailing the move, security analyst Maj Gen (retd) Md Abdur Rashid, however, raised his doubt over UGC's capacity, saying the commission cannot implement its anti-militancy plans just through the body.
He also suggested immediate empowerment of the commission, which looks after 3.40 million students of 134 public and private universities of the country. Ashique Rahman, who teaches political and international relations at North South University, welcomed the move, saying that the initiative will certainly help reduce the possible risk of militancy at educational institutions.
Mr. Rahman, also a research fellow at Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS), said extremist groups have changed their recruitment pattern, targeting educated youths of the society.
"We need to assist the monitoring team as far as security and protection of our future leaders are concerned," he added.
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Source: The Financial Express