An opinion article published on August 18, 2026 argues that partisan appointments to senior posts in Bangladesh’s central bank, universities and state television have become a long-standing political practice. It says the practice is not required by the constitution or any specific law, but has developed through the use of broad executive authority and has turned public institutions into partisan assets.

The article cites the 1973 ordinances governing Dhaka, Rajshahi, Chittagong and Jahangirnagar universities, which provide for Senate panel recommendations, while alleging that governments often bypass the process under claims of special circumstances. It also discusses BUET’s different governance context, including restrictions on organised student and teacher politics, but says the president’s final authority over vice-chancellor appointments does not guarantee neutrality.

The writer traces the culture through successive political eras and says it became systematic after the return of parliamentary democracy in 1991. The July 2024 uprising is presented as a public verdict against partisan control. The article calls for transparent, merit-based appointments and cites Singapore, the United Kingdom, New Zealand and Canada as examples of institutions kept freer from partisan influence.