The Cabinet on Monday approved in principle the drafts of ‘the Chittagong Medical University Bill, 2015’ and ‘the Rajshahi Medical University Bill, 2015’ for setting up two more medical universities in the country alongside the existing Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
The approval was given at the regular weekly meeting of the Cabinet held at Bangladesh Secretariat with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.Briefing reporters after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan said the aim of the present government is to ensure further development of the country’s health sector through building expert physicians for which there is a need for setting up more medical universities. “There’s also a necessity for more skilled manpower in the sector.”
He said on one hand the new medical universities would ensure the scope for higher studies and create scope for conducting researches on the other.
Musharraf Hossain said the National Health Council meeting held in March last year with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair decided to set up two new medical universities in Chittagong and Rajshahi.
He said the Health and Family Welfare Ministry placed the two draft laws before the Cabinet meeting today after eliciting opinions from various stakeholders in line with the BSMMU law.
Each of the draft law has 57 sections, objectives for setting up the university, its power, formation and power of the university authorities, personnel, UGC jurisdiction, and necessary rules and regulations.
Under the proposed laws, the Cabinet Secretary said there will be separate new medical universities in Chittagong and Rajshahi while the existing Chittagong and Rajshahi medical colleges and the surrounding medical colleges of the respective areas would be treated as affiliated bodies of these two universities.
The universities would impart postgraduate-level education while the bachelor-level education will be given in medical colleges. However, the bachelor-level education on nursing would be imparted in medical universities.
The Cabinet Secretary said the President will be the Chancellor of these two universities, while the Vice Chancellors to be selected for a four-year term. Besides, there will be two Pro Vice Chancellors in each university alongside the treasurers and registrars. – UNB
