Photo - UGC

DHAKA, Aug 27, 2025 (BSS) - The University Grants Commission (UGC) of Bangladesh today signed agreements with 43 public and private universities of the country to implement 151 selected sub-projects under the Higher Education Acceleration and Transformation (HEAT) project.

UGC Secretary Dr Md Fakhrul Islam and the registrars of the sub-projects from public and private universities signed the agreements on behalf of their respective institutions at a function held at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in the capital.

UGC Chairman Professor Dr SMA Faiz was present at the event as the chief guest.

Commission Members Professor Dr Md Saidur Rahman, Professor Dr Machuma Habib, Professor Dr Mohammad Ayub Islam, World Bank Practice Manager Keiko Inoue, Lead Economist and Technical Advisor Toby Linden, Task Team Leader TM Asaduzzaman, Vice-Chancellors and Sub-Project Managers of various universities also spoke at the event, with UGC Member Professor Dr Mohammad Tanzimuddin Khan in the chair.

At the event, HEAT Project Director Professor Dr Asaduzzaman highlighted the progress of project implementation, including the sub-project selection process.

UGC Chairman Professor Faiz said the highest importance had been given to the quality of higher education and the national interest in the selection of HEAT sub-projects.

He urged the sub-project recipients to work with honesty and dedication to meet the targets.

Professor Tanzimuddin Khan congratulated the project recipients and called upon them to play a positive role in society by successfully implementing all the project works.

He said the project work had started after facing various challenges in the last one year and stressed that proper utilization of funds must be ensured.

It is mentionable that project proposals were invited from university teachers and researchers through an open competition for the implementation of various sub-projects under the HEAT project.

A total of 1,481 sub-project proposals were submitted. After scrutiny, 151 sub-projects were finally selected.

The cost of the five-year (2023-2028) HEAT project to improve the quality of higher education in the country has been estimated at Taka 4,016 crore 57 lakh. The project, under the Ministry of Education, is being implemented by the UGC.