In a recent development, the University Grants Commission (UGC) has issued a directive instructing the National University (NU) authorities to abstain from admitting students at the undergraduate (honours) level for the upcoming academic year (2023–24) at its main campus.
A press release, endorsed by Dr Shamsul Arefin, Director of Public Relations and Information Rights Division, was disseminated on Sunday, highlighting this directive. As per the release, the UGC emphasized that this directive will remain in effect until further instructions are received from President Mohammed Shahabuddin, who also serves as the Chancellor.
The UGC had communicated with President Shahabuddin on January 25, expressing concerns about the decision to admit students to the National University main campus. The release specified that all admission activities outlined in the NU’s admission circular should be halted until the Chancellor issues additional directives.
The directive from the UGC underscored that the ongoing process of admitting students to undergraduate programs at the university’s main campus constitutes a clear violation of the National University Act. The Commission stressed that allowing admissions would disrupt the legal purpose of establishing the National University, leading to potential legal complications for students and causing distress for both students and parents.
Consequently, the UGC sought the President’s guidance to take necessary measures to prevent the admission of students into undergraduate programs at the main campus of the National University.
It is noteworthy that last year, the National University main campus had issued a notification inviting applications from interested students for enrollment in undergraduate (honours) programs in departments such as LLB, BBA, Tourism and Hospitality Management, and Nutrition and Food Science. During that period, the UGC had sent multiple letters instructing the suspension of student admissions at the main campus, indicating a recurrent concern in this regard.
