Professor shortage hits universities hard

The expanding university sector of the country is facing an unabated academic staffing challenge due to a shortage of professors, with at least seven universities reportedly having no professors at all, and many others employing only a handful of senior academics, according to the Bangladesh Education Statistics 2025 report by the Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics (BANBEIS). 

The shortage of professors creates obstacles to maintaining academic quality and raises concerns about research supervision, postgraduate education, academic leadership and the overall standard of higher education.

The problem goes beyond staffing numbers. It raises broader questions about university planning, recruitment and promotion policies, research investment, working conditions and whether regulatory authorities can ensure that institutional expansion is matched by an adequate supply of qualified academic staff.

PUBLIC
*    Islamic Arabic University
*    Rabindra University, Bangladesh
*    Khulna Agricultural University
*    Jamalpur Science and Technology University
PRIVATE
*    Z H Sikder University of Science and Technology
*    Feni University
*    Central University of Science and Technology

The Bangladesh Education Statistics 2025 report records 180 universities, and of these 47 are public universities, which serve approximately 716,000 students with 15,603 teachers, including 5,356 professors and 2,252 lecturers.

The figures, however, conceal substantial differences between institutions. Islamic Arabic University, Rabindra University, Khulna Agricultural University and Jamalpur Science and Technology University are among those reported to have no professors. In addition, 11 universities have fewer than 10 professors.

Khulna Agricultural University has 93 teachers, of whom 62 are lecturers. At Gopalganj Science and Technology University, just two professors serve 8,733 students, illustrating the uneven distribution of senior academics across the public university system.

The absence of professors does not mean that universities cannot conduct classes, as lecturers, assistant professors and associate professors also teach. However, a shortage of experienced academics can affect research supervision, curriculum development, postgraduate programmes and departmental leadership.

The challenge extends to private universities. BANBEIS data show that 105 private universities employ 16,885 teachers, including 8,855 lecturers, who account for more than half of the total. 

Z H Sikder University of Science and Technology, Feni University and Central University of Science and Technology reportedly have no full-time or part-time professors. Meanwhile, 72 private universities have fewer than 10 full-time professors.

Professor Emeritus Manzoor Ahmed of BRAC University has said cost-cutting practices can discourage some private universities from recruiting senior academics. He has called for clear recruitment and promotion policies and an effective career structure.

Clearer career structures could help universities attract and retain experienced academics while providing transparent opportunities for professional advancement. Recruitment and promotion should also take account of research contributions and academic qualifications.

Former acting chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC), Dr Alamgir Hossain, has stressed the need to increase the number of PhD-qualified teachers. Experts also emphasise research funding, suitable working conditions and professional development opportunities as essential to attracting and retaining qualified academics.