The Public-Private University Debate in the Higher Education Sector in Bangladesh

Abstract

Bangladesh, a developing country, traditionally had had a system of university education which was public in operation. During the early 1990s, in line with other liberalization policies, Bangladesh allowed private initiatives in university education as well. During the last decade and a half, this private university education system has expanded rapidly. The relevant issue in this context, how the University Grants Commission (UGC), the principal regulatory body in this new market, can effectively ensure a quality education for university students, given its' own political economic characteristics? The paper investigates this issue in detail