The approval has been given to open branch campuses of foreign educational institutions in the country on condition. In the latest development, the Ministry of Education has given temporary permission to set up and operate a branch of Monas College (Australia) Study Center.

The letter signed by Shamima Begum, Deputy Secretary (Private University-1), Department of Secondary and Higher Education, Ministry of Education, states that the proposed study centers are governed by the Private University Act-2010 and all the rules laid down in the ‘Rules for Operating Campus or Study Center Branch of Foreign Universities or Institutions, 2014’. – Will abide by the terms and conditions.

According to the letter, the approved campuses have to a 25,000 sq ft floor area like a private university and a sufficient number of classrooms to accommodate each student. In order to set up and operate a study center, own or rented building should have at least 10,000 square feet floor area. Part-time teachers can be appointed for teaching. The amount of student admission fee, tuition fee, number of credits, semester activity fee and other fees should be divided proportionately between the local representative and the foreign university in proportion to the share of the entrepreneur, local representative and foreign university.

If computer science, engineering or engineering subjects are included in the syllabus, one computer for every five students and a laboratory with relevant equipment should be set up.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) will ensure proper compliance with the approval conditions. The entrepreneur of the approved company is Aduco Bangladesh Limited of STS Group.

At present, there are 106 approved private universities in the country.