An analysis by Dhaka Tribune of recent data on public universities found many institutions operating with less than 10 professors.
The shortage is most acute in newer institutions outside the capital with, for instance, Barisal University and the Pabna University of Science and Technology only having one professor each who is the VC.
By contrast, at Jahangirnagar University, around a third of its total 657 teachers are professors. Likewise, at Dhaka University, around 35% of teachers are professors, while, elsewhere in South Asia, at Delhi University, the proportion approaches nearly half.
The same pattern can be seen in other sectors with Dhaka exerting an overwhelming gravitational pull on talent and resources. This over-centralisation of expertise within Dhaka creates a vicious cycle across the whole public sector that deprives people outside the capital of good quality public services, and hampers the spread of economic growth.
The concentration of coveted opportunities in Dhaka increases migratory pressure towards the capital, which in turn reduces quality of life in the capital. It also gives rise to corruption and lobbying in the job allocation process, undermining the integrity of the bureaucratic apparatus.
A comprehensive approach is required to incentivise more public servants to take up posts outside of Dhaka. Staying in Dhaka is lucrative from the perspective of career advancement because of networking opportunities and the possibility of taking on consultancy jobs. In order to offset this, more key offices should be relocated out of the capital and salary incentives provided to public servants willing to relocate.
Investment also needs to be made on infrastructure and facilities, such as education and healthcare, in order to improve the attractiveness of cities outside of Dhaka.
Decentralisation will help everyone in the nation by reducing pressures on Dhaka and helping to spread the benefits of economic growth across the whole country.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
