Maintain quality of education

She made the call when a five-member delegation of the Moulana Bhasani Science and Technology University (MBSTU) called on her at the Prime Minister's Office yesterday.

Khaleda Zia appreciated the objectives of the private university named after the late leader of the downtrodden, Moulana Abdul Hamid Khan Bhasani, and assured allout cooperation of her government for its development and welfare.

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The MBSTU delegation told the prime minister that the academic activities of the university would begin in September this year and invited her to the launching ceremony on September 1.

The prime minister accepted the invitation. She said Moulana Bhasani was respected as a struggling public leader of Afro-Asia and Latin America and the university named after him should reflect his struggle and pursue international standard of education.

"We can pay due respect to the late leader by imparting high quality education to the students in the University named after him," she said. Its academic and extracurricular activities would reflect the ideals of Moulana Bhasani, she added.

The delegation apprised Khaleda Zia of different aspects of the university and sought government assistance for development of its infrastructure. They urged the prime minister to allocate land to the university at a token price.

The delegation also requested her to provide the university with some quality manpower at the initial stage.

Khaleda advised the university authorities to send a proposal on the demands to the ministry concerned and gave the assurance that the proposal would be considered.

The MBSTU delegation comprised Vice-chancellor Prof Dr Yusuf Sharif Ahmed Khan, Bhasani Trust chairman Prof Yusuf Zahid, Trust member-secretary Syed Irfanul Bari, Trust member M Shamsul Haq and registrar Shah M Sarwar Islam.

As the delegation apprised the prime minister of various aspects of the university, she lauded the features of the MBSTU and said it could be a model for other private universities.

She said the government will do everything possible, in line with its programmes for education, for the development and welfare of the university. Besides, she said, she would watch over the university personally.

The MBSTU it will offer stipend to the poor and meritorious students. English will be the only medium of teaching and the university will follow the international standard of education, including semesters and credit hours along with academic calendar, the delegation numbers said.

They said the MBSTU will give emphasis on the subjects Computer Science and Information Technology (IT).The focus will be on human resource development through constant and appropriate linkage with the job market.

The university set up on 58 acres of land will have highly experienced and qualified full-time teachers and it will hire, if needed, internationally reputed teachers from home and abroad, they added.