M. Sadeq

All non-government degree colleges of the country have to follow the Staff Service Regulations (SSR) formulated by the National University. These SSR prescribe the terms and conditions of appointment, confirmation, promotion and retirement of the teachers from the principals down to the librarians and demonstrators. Before establishment of the National University (NU) the SSR of non-government degree colleges were framed by the public universities namely the Dhaka University, the Rajshahi University and the Chittagong University.
   These public universities formed committees comprising, in most of the cases, the principals of renowned non-government degree colleges of the country. This system was in vogue even during the British rule. The principals who got the responsibility of framing the SSR never made any mistake to frame the SSR in such a way that would ensure protection of their interests - permanency in their post, provision of all types of financial and administrative benefits etc. The legacy of the British period continues till today although much time has elapsed.
   Over the years many changes have taken place in the education sector but SSR of non-government degree colleges remains unchanged. The principals of colleges who lead the teachers' organisations are taken inducted into the policy making organs of the NU by virtue of their positions in the teachers' bodies led by them. None but the principals are seldom found in the senate or syndicate of the NU. So the people whose interests are very adversely affected due to age-old canons embodied in the SSR cannot play any role for amendment and rectification of the SSR.
   
   Anomalous, inconsistent
   Public universities have their ordinances and statutes that are amended and updated to suit the changed circumstances. Similarly, private universities too have their own Acts passed by the parliament and they have also scope for making amendments of internal regulations. But the SSR of non-government degree colleges have no provision for making any amendment by the respective colleges when needed. All the colleges of the country have to follow these SSR irrespective of their grade and standard. A grade one college of Dhaka city offering honours and masters courses, with about 20,000 students, has to follow the same SSR which is applicable to a suburban colleges having only courses up to degree pass level with barely 500 to 1000 students. With the passage of time many things have undergone major changes in the non-government degree colleges also. For this reason these changes should be accommodated in the SSR.
   The renowned degree colleges offer honours and masters courses. These colleges have faculties and separate departments. But in the SSR now followed by the colleges nothing is mentioned about the selection and appointment of deans of faculties and chairmen of the departments; there is no mention of the authority of their appointment, their tenure of assignment, powers and responsibility etc. in the SSR. The senior most teachers in the faculty is called the dean and the senior most teacher of the department is called the chairman. This is so to say a tradition followed by some colleges.
   
   Rotation system
   Sometimes it takes the shape of a self-imposed designation. A junior lecturer who has joined just yesterday in a newly opened department may claim to be the chairman of the department since the SSR has given him the liberty to do so whereas a senior most teacher in another department, say with 20 years service, remains a simple teacher; he has no scope for becoming chairman of the department until and unless the existing chairman resigns his post or retires or dies. In this latter case the service difference between the chairman and the teacher may be some hours only: one may have joined in the forenoon and the other in the after noon of the same day - and that makes all the difference. In absence of the system of rotation one retires as a chairman and the other (joining on the same day) as a simple teacher! If rotation system were in vogue the position would have been coherent.
   The same is the case with principals, vice principals and deans. Holders of these post remain in their chairs till their retirement unless anything abnormal happens. The rotation of these position holders is urgently needed; but this cannot happen unless a thorough revision and recasting of the existing SSR are made and an amended SSR framed by a committee of experts chosen from different colleges representing all categories of teachers from principals to lecturers.
   
   Varying standards
   All the non-government degree colleges (not less than 2000) are not of the same standard. Differences in academic disciplines, financial soundness, administrative excellence, strength of competent teachers and number of well-chosen students, rich library and laboratory and research facilities should make differences among the colleges. Those colleges that fulfill 80-100 per cent criteria or decisive factors of a standard college deserve to be classified as grade A; those fulfilling 60-79 per cent conditions may be classified as B, those meeting 40-59 per cent conditions be graded as C and those following below 40 per cent should be graded as D. The colleges falling under grade D should be considered precariously sick and should be temporarily suspended for affiliation. In this way the NU should classify all the degree colleges as A, B, C and D grades.
   The SSR for these 4 grades of colleges should be different. This means each type of college shall follow the SSR framed according to its grade. This will create competition among the colleges to maintain and enhance their grade. The classification of the colleges as suggested above can easily be done by the NU within a very short time by deployment of evaluation teams, say 50 teams for 2000 colleges; one team doing evaluation work of 40 colleges. The data of all the colleges are at the disposal of the NU and it will not be difficult to finish the job of evaluation in five to six months. After completion of classification work, the list of colleges showing their grades should be prepared and sent to all the colleges. And copy of the SSR applicable to colleges concerned shall be sent for compliance and guidance of the colleges.
   
   SSR formulation
   As regards formulation of SSR for different grades of colleges the following suggestions are offered for kind consideration of the NU:
   1. Grade A colleges shall enjoy liberty / option to formulate SSR to suit their own circumstances and requirements. Such SSR formulated by the colleges shall require final approval by the NU as a matter of routine only. These shall be treated as special type of SSR for specialised and grade A colleges.
   2. Colleges classified as B and C shall follow the SSR formulated by the NU according to the standard as applicable to the colleges concerned.
   3. Colleges evaluated as D shall be classified as precariously sick and liable to be suspended for affiliation for 3 years. A precautionary signal shall be issued to the governing body (GB) of these colleges for fulfilment of minimum conditions within the approved time with the threat of cancellation of affiliation forever in case of failure.
   4. The GB of grade A colleges that are allowed to formulate their own SSR shall be considered competent enough to give promotion of teachers up to the status of professors on the basis of their merit, experience and contribution to education. Prior approval of the NU shall not be made mandatory as is provided in the existing SSR.
   5. Extension of service of teachers of A and B grade colleges shall be made a routine affair of the GB if the incumbents are found physically and mentally fit to discharge their duties and responsibilities. This should be done exactly in the line of public universities. Discretion or whim of GB should not deprive any genuine teacher from getting the opportunity of extension of service.
   6. The SSR of Grade A and Grade B colleges shall accommodate the system of rotation of posts from the principal down to the chairman of the departments. The tenure of the service of Principals, Vice-Principals, Deans and Chairmen of Departments shall be for maximum 4 years. After the tenure these post holders shall return to their substantive post in the departments they belong.
   7. Colleges belonging to all categories should be compelled to submit in prescribed form monthly statement of affair detailing specific data regarding administration, finance, academic, co-curricular and extra academic activities of the colleges concerned. The NU shall take corrective measures and suggest solutions to problems faced by the colleges and shown in the monthly statement of affairs.
   8. Inspection system of NU should be strengthened. Routine inspection of colleges graded as A and B should be done at least once in two months and in case of other types of colleges this should be done at least once in six months.
   9. SSR of grade A and B colleges should accommodate administrative and financial powers of vice-principals, deans and chairmen of departments. At present the vice-principals, deans and chairmen are considered warriors without arms in the administration of college affairs. All administrative and financial powers are vested in one post of the principal which makes him to play autocratic and dictatorial role in the administration of the colleges.
   10. The SSR of grade A colleges should be formulated by the committee of experts chosen from among the teachers representing all categories of teachers. This will enable the teachers in general to accommodate their sense of participation in the administration and management of the organisation they serve.
   The author is the Chairman, Department of Management, Tejgaon College, Dhaka.
   E-mail: arifsadeq@yahoo.com.

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Yankee Raj in South Asia?

A Mahasen

The Western super power syndicate is seeking long-term survival tactics in Asia. Bangladesh has been chosen as a strategic partner, along with Pakistan and India, to contain competition from the upcoming giant in the North.
   It is a cheap imitation of the old British India Raj policy. After partition of British India in 1947, the independent states are not clicking together - look at the limping SAARC. The 'neighbour factor' is poor amongst the SAARC members. Why? Note the basic parameters of Partition; and how far friendly relations have evolved in South Asia during the three decades of experiments. What are the new and young generations thinking of our pioneers?
   India and Pakistan are still obsessed with the Kashmir issue; the civil unrest in Sri Lanka; the recent revolution in Nepal; the political instability in Bangladesh; the recurrent changes in Pakistan; the Pak Afghan relationship.
   In a word, the human touch is missing. Why? Not for religion, as a debating issue. The political policies need grounding. The people of these independent nations hardly meet [or can meet]-direct contact at the mass level is not possible. Some one billion people had a common Raj base. Resettlement has psychological barriers. Analyse the political efforts for three decades. SAARC is a stillborn baby. Regional politics is suffering from greenhouse effect!
   The Western powers, for survival with continued high standard of living, are seeking transit and exchange conditions in this region similar to that prevailing during the Raj age. United regional cooperation cannot come without friendly environment amongst the neighbours. The internal trade within the SAARC region is to the extent of only 3 per cent-97 per cent of SAARC commodities are exported outside the region. It speaks volume of the state of affairs. The West would be in trouble if 97 could be reduced to 50 per cent.
   How to change the mindset? The situation has become more complicated and sensitive with the entry of religion in politics-fanatical terrorism is echoing round the world. The Global Village has not reduced the cultural gaps-the social factors come later. Our regional politics is claimed to be democratic; but the insulated layers at the vertical and horizontal levels have to be removed. How? Ask the political regimes.
   Religion is not a new entity-it is older than political governance. Why the religious clerics are in revolt; and that too violently? The equations between the head and the heart [logic, faith and emotion] have to be made compatible.

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'Black gold' of coastal areas

Dear Editor:
   How many of us know and how far are we aware of the importance, price and use of the vast deposits of valuable minerals like Rutile, Garnet, Magnetite, Monazite, Elmenite, Zircon etc. in beach sand [called 'black-gold'] worth billions of dollars found in some of the coastal areas of our country?
   There have been many news, reports, articles, editorials, post-editorials and letters published in our national dailies and magazines, many seminars and meetings were held from time to time on beach sand and valuable minerals but all the times the Geological Survey of Bangladesh, Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, Bureau of Minerals, Ministry of Science and Technology and Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources kept their lips tight, remained silent, deaf and dumb. There have been no accountability and transparency in their activities.
   Our experts and scientists have so far discovered and identified seventeen vast deposits of beach sand valuable minerals 'Black-Gold' sites in Cox's Bazar, Moheshkhali, Qutubdia, Teknaf, Matarbari and Kuakata and Nijhumdip but unfortunately all those are lying untapped, unused, wasted and lost into the sea for decades together.
   Sometimes our authorities concerned say that the minerals found in the coastal areas are not economically viable and sometimes they say that the exploration and commercial utilisation of the minerals involve colossal capital investment which a poor country like ours can hardly afford.
   On the other hand, our experts and scientists claim that development and utilisation of our God gifted valuable minerals worth billions of dollars would revolutionalise the economic condition of our country and the people. Due to global warming and greenhouse effect most of our coastal areas would go under deep sea water in a decade or so and the whole lot of valuable beach sand valuable minerals 'black gold' would be lost for ever.
   Can't we collect, extract and utilise the valuable minerals 'black gold' as much as possible before it is too late and lost totally?
   Why don't we impart a special training to our coastal people to extract and collect the valuable minerals 'black gold' as much as possible in a particular season and time, generate self-employment opportunities to utilise and export the valuable minerals in crude form an money?
   If we can have shrimp cultivation, salt industry in the coastal areas and earn crores of Taka why can't we commercially utilise and extract the valuable minerals in crude form and earn crores of Taka.
   In the past successive governments did not pay any attention to the development and commercial utilisation of the valuable minerals either in the public sector or in the private sector.
   Would the present caretaker government headed by Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed kindly look into the matter, hold a high level enquiry and take appropriate steps for commercial utilisation and export of our valuable minerals in the greater interest of our country?
   O. H. Kabir,
   Dhaka.

Dear Editor:
   I was really appalled at the sudden outburst of Motia Chowdhury for democracy, being herself collectively one of those responsible for destruction of democracy in the country. This politician's crocodile tears only created some amusement to the conscious and knowledgeable people who want to see establishment of true and people-oriented democratic order in the country which will pave the way for the betterment of the people of the country.
   Motia Chowdhury came out in support of the two women leaders of certain political parties. She gave her statement before the media and it was really surprising the media members did not ask her any question challenging her misstatement which was blatant distortion of facts. While extending support to those two women, was Motia aware of the allegations made against those two women about plunder of public wealth through their family members, associates and political goons?
   What type of "democracy" Motia was clamouring for? Was it looting and plundering of national and public wealth or was it for the days of anarchy, Hartal, blockade, use of 'Logi' and 'Baitha' for killing innocent people? Why did she shed crocodile tears the other day for the so-called democracy while she being a member of the Awami League Presidium herself did not try to democratise her own party where no Council meeting was ever held during the last 20 years or so.
   The country needs new political leadership sans those two women; no question about it. The nation is intelligent enough to remember their role during their tenure.
   Mohammad Ataul Hoque,
   Dhaka.

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BTTB and Submarine link

Dear Editor:
   It is expected that the speed of the Internet in the country will be raised substantially and the cost of its usage time will be reduced the inauguration of submarine cable connectivity. The Internet Service Providers' Association of Bangladesh claims that this problem is sustaining due to the dearth of sincerity of BTTB. A developing country like ours spent nearly Tk. 700 crore for submarine cable connectivity. But a year has elapsed bur we are yet to get benefit from it.
   We are already far behind in using the Internet technology compared to other countries in the world. In 1990 there was an opportunity to connect the submarine cable free of cost. Even countries less developed than Bangladesh took the opportunity and got connected with the Submarine connectivity. This might happen due to absence of farsightedness of our country's leaders (they saw that no 'undue' money was coming from it).
   It is very unfortunate that more than 15 years have passed after that but we are yet to enjoy the advantage of Submarine cable connectivity.
   As such, great reform is required in BTTB's Data and Internet Service division. Capable personnel must be recruited to cope with the problem. Training should be given to the deserving existing employees.
   Saifuddin Ahmed,
   Dhaka.

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Bureaucrats and corruption

Dear Editor:
   True definition of corruption and anticorruption is probably mysterious' in Bangladesh. The CG is dealing with financial crimes rather than ''abuse of power''. That may expose only part of corruption. Hundreds of agreements with domestic and foreign companies and countries have been done by bureaucrats of our country in the Secretariat and other administrative offices for importing poor quality goods. Bribes are taken as in the form of facilitating the decision making officers' sons to immigrate to foreign countries.
   These nonfinancial corruptions have been committed by politicians and bureaucrats jointly. But it's questionable why the latter are exempted from anticorruption drive. Half truth is more dangerous than a lie.
   Secondly, lots of agreements are signed without considering the interest of our country at the expense of our country's interest.
   We think anti-corruption drive by the CG could be more comprehensive rather than half -finished. We might not get the desired result. The nation wants to see the list of' "white collar criminals'' as well.
   Dr Mohammad A Karim,
   General practitioner,
   Victoria,
   Australia.

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