by Arafat Rahaman in The Daily Star, Aug 28, 2023
Academic activities at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Science and Technology University in Gopalganj are being severely hampered due to a shortage of basic infrastructure and teachers.
Established in 2011, the BSMRSTU currently has only 284 teachers for a total of 10,845 students enrolled across 34 departments. The university with its student-to-teacher ratio of 38:1 falls short of meeting the University Grants Commission’s recommended ratio of 16:1 for science universities.
In several departments, the ratio is far higher than the average of one teacher for every 38 students. Departments like Architecture, Botany, History, Tourism and Hospitality Management, Food and Agro Process Engineering, Fisheries and Marine Bioscience, and Biotechnology and Genetic Engineering, have less than five teachers each.
“We don’t have enough teachers for such a high number of students. Students in many departments are deprived of the required number of lectures and sessional classes as a result,” said Dr Kamruzzaman, former president of BSMRSTU Teachers’ Association.
We have urged the university administration to recruit more experienced teachers to address the issue, he added.
Talking to The Daily Star, Jamal Uddin, assistant professor of Computer Science and Engineering Department, said he was made the chairman of Food and Agro Process Engineering as there was no senior teacher in that department.
There are only four lecturers in the department.
On the other hand, the Jessore University of Science and Technology, established in 2007, has a student-to-teacher ratio of 12:1 and the Mawlana Bhashani Science and Technology University, established in 1999, has a ratio of 22:1.
Inadequate number of teachers is not the only issue plaguing the BSMRSTU. The dearth of experienced teachers is also acute, directly affecting the quality of education at the science university.
The university’s teaching staff has only 40 teachers who hold MPhil or PhD, with only two professors — Prof Dr M Shahjahan of Physics (tenured) and Prof Sheikh Ashiqurrahman Prince of Management Studies (contractual) — and 14 associate professors.
The lack of experienced teachers affects the quality of education, said Prof Kamruzzaman, also an associate professor of Applied Chemistry and Chemical Engineering.
He said, “Science and technology universities are different from public universities and require special lectures along with hands-on training in labs. That’s why we need experienced teachers to enhance the quality of education here.”
While teachers struggle to complete their courses, they often face barriers due to the shortage of classrooms and labs.
In addition to an administrative building, only two academic buildings with around 85 classrooms have been built.
At least five departments, including Civil Engineering, Tourism and Hospitality Management and Sheikh Hasina IT Institute, have to hold classes at the administrative building while students of the History Department have to attend their classes in a tin-shed room, according to university sources.
Many departments do not have any laboratories. Among other departments, Civil Engineering, Environmental Science and Disaster Management, Psychology, Agriculture, Fisheries and Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine especially lack proper lab facilities.
This further disrupts the students’ learning experience and adds to the burden on the faculty, said Nazmul Hossain, chairman of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine department.
“We have only one classroom for our 200 students. We can hold classes of one batch at a time. It takes more time to complete their courses, which is an extra burden both to us and the students,” he said.
Besides, the departments, especially those which have more practical and sessional courses, should have at least one laboratory each, he added.
Only 2,000 students stay in five dormitories at the university. However, facilities in the dormitories are insufficient, as there are no reading rooms or library facilities there.
Ujjal Mondol, a student of Law Department, stays in a rented flat outside of the campus. He said house rent and other living costs near the university areas are much higher in Gopalganj. It’s becoming increasingly difficult for his family to bear the costs, he added.
Another student Sanjana Rahman of Agriculture Department said there is a concern about security, especially for the female students, as there were several incidents where students came under attack by locals.
Students and teachers held many demonstrations demanding immediate attention to these issues.
According to university sources, such demonstrations have become a regular occurrence, diverting students’ attention from their studies. However, they said the bigger problem is that at least 70 students were attacked by local goons while staging demonstrations.
Talking about the shortage of infrastructure and teachers, former BSMRSTU Registrar Md Morad Hossain claimed the previous administration is largely responsible for the current state of affairs at the university.
When former vice-chancellor Khondoker Md Nasiruddin took charge in 2015, the number of departments was 20 and the number of seats was 1,430. But when he left in 2019, the number of departments and seats increased to 34 and 2,905 respectively, according to sources with knowledge of the university’s academic activities.
The former vice-chancellor was subsequently removed in 2019 due to his involvement in many irregularities, they said.
This correspondent made repeated attempts to reach the former vice-chancellor but he did not respond to any of the calls made or text messages sent to him.
Asked about the initiatives the current administration has taken to address the issues, Vice-Chancellor Prof AQM Mahbub said the number of seats has been reduced since the 2020-21 academic year.
Talking about security issues, he said more dormitories are needed to accommodate all the students. “We have a plan to build two 10-storey halls.”
As for the quality of education, he said so many departments are not required in a science and technology university but it is not possible to close the new departments that have already been opened. That’s why we are trying to recruit more teachers, especially experienced teachers to address the high student-to-teacher ratio.
“The University Grants Commission has already given us approval to recruit senior teachers from renowned universities on a temporary basis, so that our students get quality education,” Prof Mahbub added.
This newspaper talked to several educationists about the issues encountered by the students at the BSMRSTU.
Prof AAMS Arefin Siddique expressed his concern about the establishment of new universities without having built basic infrastructure.
He said the lack of resources serves as an obstacle to providing quality education to students, ultimately jeopardising their future.
As the Gopalganj BSMRSTU is a new institution, it may not attract professors or associate professors. Therefore, he explained, at the initial stage the university should consider appointing young teachers, such as assistant professors.
As for providing guidance to the young teachers, he suggested appointing visiting professors who can share their experiences and collaborate with the regular faculty to enhance the quality of teaching and better educate the students.
But it is the responsibility of the UGC to address these issues and ensure that new universities are fully equipped to function effectively, Prof Siddique added.
Commenting on this, Dhaka University Professor Emeritus Serajul Islam Choudhury said when students are deprived of the required facilities during their academic journey, the educational institution fails to achieve its intended goals.
About resolving the issues, he said the UGC has to the take the responsibility to address them.
“The government should think more and work more before establishing new universities,” he added.
https://www.thedailystar.net/news/bangladesh/news/academic-activities-peril-3404871
