Bobby Hajjaj finally retracts controversial statement

Bobby Hajjaj, State Minister for Primary and Mass Education, has completely retracted his controversial statement about Dhaka University. He made the announcement in a post on his verified Facebook page on Friday (May 29). At the same time, he expressed hope that there will be no more misunderstandings or debates on this issue.

His recent statement comparing Dhaka University to a coaching center in a podcast sparked widespread discussion in the media and social media. The statement sparked a storm of criticism from students, teachers, former students and various quarters. In light of this, the State Minister decided to retract his statement, explaining his position.

In a post titled ‘Regarding the recent discussion and misrepresentation of statements about Dhaka University’, Bobby Hajjaj said that the comments made in the podcast were completely personal opinions and did not in any way reflect the official position or policy of the government. He claimed that some parts of his statement were misunderstood and in some cases misinterpreted. He basically wanted to talk about the need to make Dhaka University a more research-based and world-class university.

He further said that in the last 17 years, the country's higher education sector has faced various challenges. Not enough importance has been given to research, various decisions have been taken based on political considerations, and questions have been raised about transparency and merit-based evaluation in teacher recruitment and promotion. In addition, allegations of unethical academic practices like plagiarism have also come to the fore at various times. He criticized these trends and felt that there should be no place for these in a prestigious university.

Bobby Hajjaj said that the podcast discussion was an informal and spontaneous conversation. It was not a research-based or policy-based discussion. If it had been a formal academic discussion, the language and presentation of the speech would have been more well-organized and specific.

Mentioning his respect for Dhaka University, he said that the university's history, tradition, and contribution to nation-building are undeniable. He wants Dhaka University to establish a stronger position not only as the heart of higher education in the country, but also as a center for international-standard research, innovation, and knowledge.

In the last part of the post, the State Minister said that many people have been hurt, dissatisfied, and misunderstandings have been created due to his statement. That is why he is completely withdrawing his statement. At the same time, he hopes that this will end the ongoing debate on this issue.