With the aim to improve education quality, the seven government colleges in Dhaka were re-affiliated with Dhaka University in February, 2017. But the goals have vanished into thin air with elapsing time, letting over 2.5 lakhs students in severe academic complexities.
The gap between goal and its implementation of the seven colleges re-affiliation pushed students to face session jam, get results after long dillydally and therefore, pass Honours and Masters late.
The seven colleges are Dhaka College, Eden Women's College, Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College, Kabi Nazrul Government College, Begum Badrunnesa Government Women's College, Government Bangla College and Government Titumir College.
Dhaka University's responsibilities are to conduct admission tests, hold their written and oral exams, prepare question papers, evaluate answer scripts (partially), and publish the results.
But the university authorities have been blamed for failing to live up to its calling. Seven college students said that the ongoing crisis prevailed from authorities' ignorance towards the colleges.
From 2017 till now, students of the colleges have taken to the streets several times demanding an end to session jam, the publication of flawless results in time, the establishment of an administrative building for them, publication of academic calendar, holding examinations on time and fair evaluation of examination papers.
Recently, for two consecutive days - June 20 and 21 - students of the colleges blocked Nilkhet intersection to press their demands.
They further alleged DU teachers of undervaluing their answer papers.
Contrarily, DU teachers commented that the answer scripts of the college students were poor which is why a large number of students fail.
In the 2018-19 session, the students of seven colleges faced a result-disaster in the final year. Only one out of 100 students of the English Department at Kabi Nazrul Government College and two out of 98 students of Government Shaheed Suhrawardy College passed the exams, reports an English daily.
Mizanur Rahman, a Dhaka College graduate, told the Daily Observer, "The question pattern and evaluation system have been changed after the affiliation but the administrations have failed to prepare students for the new system."
DU officials said the university has insufficient officials and employees to provide smooth and uninterrupted services to students of seven colleges.
Besides, there is an acute teacher crisis in the colleges. The teacher-student ratio in the seven colleges is 1:55, whereas the international standard is 1:15.
Emeritus Prof Serajul Islam Choudhury said it was an unwise decision to re-affiliate the colleges without proper plan and preparation.
"It's difficult for Dhaka University to handle the seven colleges. The colleges should have been directed by the National University. Managing the colleges of over 2.5 lakh students is tough for the university and our Controller office is not also competent to do that," Prof Serajul Islam said.
Noted educationist and former Professor of Dhaka University's History Department Syed Anwar Husain once opined that the seven colleges became affiliated with DU based on political consideration. The university had no preparation to take the responsibilities of such a large number of students.
DU Vice-Chancellor Prof Md Akhtaruzzaman said, "All the processes are maintained following university rules. We are trying to ensure smooth and fair academic environment."
"We have to conduct academic activities with whatever we have now. Our students were under another management for so many years. To adjust them, it requires a huge amount of time," said the Vice-Chancellor.
However, Prof Akhtaruzzaman claimed that many positive changes were visible in the colleges in the case of quality education.
