Corruption on Every Page of BRU

Once widely known for its rare and endangered plant species, the campus of Rangpur’s Begum Rokeya University (Begum Rokeya University) is now seen as a place where the beauty of its scenic environment is being overshadowed by the corruption. Vice-chancellors come and go, but the situation remains unchanged. Instead of receiving recognition for academic achievements, some have been disgraced in cases of alleged embezzlement of public funds. Out of the six vice-chancellors who have served so far, allegations of irregularities and corruption have been raised against five of them.

“We have witnessed various irregularities, corruption, and administrative mismanagement in the university. Unfortunately, successive vice-chancellors have used the university for personal and political interests. It is time for change,” said an Economics Department teacher.

Established in 2008 in Rangpur to provide higher education opportunities for students in northern Bangladesh, the university was expected to become a beacon of knowledge. However, the opposite has occurred; several vice-chancellors have reportedly been imprisoned in corruption cases. Some have fled or gone into hiding to avoid arrest. An exception was the university’s first vice-chancellor, Dr. Lutfar Rahman, who reportedly served only seven months due to his excessive honesty. Apart from him, all other vice-chancellors have faced allegations of irregularities and corruption, though most completed their terms. Some are also accused of extending their tenure by managing the government.

According to investigations, the second vice-chancellor, Dr. Abdul Jalil Mia, was sued by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) over allegations of embezzling several crores of taka. He was also accused of abuse of power and making appointments without approval from the University Grants Commission (UGC). After nearly four years in office, he resigned in the face of student and teacher protests on 4 May 2013 and fled to Canada. He was later arrested when he appeared before a Rangpur court on 20 July 2017 and was sent to jail, though he was later released on bail.

The third and fourth vice-chancellors, A.K.M. Nurun Nabi and Dr. Nazmul Ahsan Kalimullah, were sued by the ACC on 18 June 2025 for allegedly embezzling 40 million taka from a development project. Five individuals, including engineers and contractors, were named in the case. Dr. Kalimullah was arrested by Detective Branch (DB) police from Mohammadpur in Dhaka last August and is currently in jail.

The most sensational incident occurred during the tenure of the fifth vice-chancellor, Dr. Hasibur Rashid, who faces allegations of recruitment trading and various irregularities and corruption. He is also an accused in the murder case of martyr Abu Sayeed and is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence.

The arrest of two former vice-chancellors has brought a sense of relief among students. A CSE student, Rahmat Ali said, “If someone commits wrongdoing, they must be punished. But if the guardians of the institution where we study are corrupt, it negatively affects our future as well.”

Another student, Shamsur Rahman Suman from the Bengali Department, demanded that all others involved in benefiting from corruption, including commissions and bribery, should also be brought to justice.

An administrative official, speaking anonymously, said that corruption has not only damaged the university financially and reputationally but has also affected academic standards. He added that several officials, including the then registrar Shahjahan Mondal and others, were also named in cases, but only the vice-chancellor and registrar were jailed while others were acquitted, which he described as questionable.

Similarly, in the development project corruption cases involving Nurun Nabi and Kalimullah, engineers and contractors were also accused, but only the vice-chancellors faced legal consequences while others allegedly continue their activities freely.

The official further claimed that due to widespread corruption, the administration fails to focus on education, and academic quality has declined. The university has also failed to appear in any international rankings.

Fakrul Anam Benju, president of Sujan (Citizens for Good Governance) in Rangpur city, said, “Those who have tarnished this higher education institution deserve punishment. If those currently in power are not brought under the law, this cycle will not stop.”

Rejecting allegations of corruption, the sixth vice-chancellor, Dr. Shawkat Ali, said he is determined to learn from past mistakes and will not tolerate any form of corruption, biased decisions, or political influence.

 

Bottom of For