In its 46th anniversary issue of November 12th, 2010, “Holiday” newspaper published an article acknowledging the “Role of private universities in higher education.” The article was written by Prof. Dr. M. Alimullah Miyan, Vice-Chancellor of IUBAT – International University of Business Agriculture and Technology, as well as Secretary General of the Association of Private Universities of Bangladesh.
The article focuses on the significant contribution of non-government universities (NGUs) to the higher education system of Bangladesh. The role of NGUs is completely multidimensional. With their commitment to ensure the relevance of higher education in Bangladesh, they have also created new educational programs, expanded the realm of opportunities for students and graduates, and managed to build political consensus and community engagement in higher education.
The ideas of reversing Bangladesh’s “brain drain” through the development of knowledge and culture, creating a generation of employment, as well as relieving the government’s financial burden of education are also explored in this article. The entire article is available online at http://www.weeklyholiday.net/2010/121110/anniv10/15.html.