The government has given approval for a new private university named “Grameen University, Dhaka”. This university will operate under the Grameen Trust. The Grameen Trust was founded by Nobel laureate Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus. The Ministry of Education officially approved the university on Monday, March 17. With this addition, the total number of approved private universities in the country now stands at 116.
The main advisor for Grameen University will be Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus himself. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees for the university will be Md. Ashraful Hasan. He is currently the Chairman of Grameen Trust. The Ministry of Education has already informed Mr. Hasan about this approval through a letter.
The Ministry of Education has set out a total of 22 conditions for establishing this university. One of the key conditions is that the initial approval given to Grameen University is temporary and will last for seven years. Within this time, the university needs to meet all the necessary standards.
Another important condition is that Grameen University must have a minimum space of 25,000 square feet. This space can be in their own building or in a rented building. The university also needs to have at least three faculties. Under these faculties, there should be a minimum of six departments offering various academic programs.
Furthermore, Grameen University is required to have a reserve fund of at least BDT 1.5 crore. This amount must be deposited in a fixed account in any scheduled bank in Bangladesh. These are just some of the 22 conditions that the university needs to fulfill.
It is known that a team from the University Grants Commission (UGC) had visited the proposed campus of Grameen University in Uttara, Dhaka. This visit took place in January. After their inspection, the UGC team prepared a report. This report was then sent to the Ministry of Education. The Ministry of Education carefully reviewed this report for about two months before finally granting approval to the new private university. This new addition, Grameen University, is expected to contribute to the higher education sector of Bangladesh.