Prime Minister Tarek Rahman has identified political influence in teacher recruitment as a key reason behind the declining international ranking of Bangladesh’s universities, including Dhaka University. He made the remarks on May 12 during an exchange with teachers and students at the Muzaffar Ahmad Chowdhury Auditorium of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Dhaka University. The Prime Minister said that in the past, political considerations outweighed merit in recruitment and promotion, which harmed the quality of higher education.

He emphasized that ensuring merit-based recruitment could improve the situation and also pointed out deficiencies in research and publication. Earlier the same day, at the inauguration of a national workshop titled “Transforming Higher Education in Bangladesh: Roadmap for Sustainable Excellence” at the Nawab Nawab Ali Chowdhury Senate Building, he noted that Bangladeshi universities have yet to reach desired levels in global competition. He said that research, innovation, and academic impact are key indicators in international rankings where local universities lag behind.

The Prime Minister urged greater investment in research and innovation and called for alumni involvement in supporting university research and development.