For this, the education ministry will amend the existing Public University Ordinance-1973 soon following the recommendations of the University Grants Commission (UGC), highly placed sources in the ministry said.

The move has been made in the wake of wide scale corruption and irregularities by some public university VCs recently, who had been appointed on political considerations by the previous BNP-Jamaat coalition government, sources added.

Bangladesh Open University (BOU) VC Dr Ershadul Bari was removed on March 14 and Moulana Bhasani Science and Technology University (MBSTU) VC Prof M Khalilur Rahman was compelled to quit his post on March 12 on charge of corruption, irregularities, embezzlement of funds, nepotism and favouritism.

A directive signed by Deputy Secretary Samsul Alam of the education ministry was sent to the authorities of 10 public universities on March 20, asking for a list of senior professors as early as possible. The ministry also directed them to send the list to the UGC as well.

Meanwhile, the UGC has recommended that the education ministry form a six-member 'Searching Committee' to select honest and competent candidates for the posts of VCs.

Talking to The Daily Star about the new system, UGC Chairman Prof Dr M Asaduzzaman said that the Searching Committee would initially pick six teachers among the senior professors of each public university. Then the senate of the university, where the VC will be appointed, would elect or select three professors among them. The president, also the chancellor of the universities, would then choose one among these teachers.

The Searching Committee will comprise members from education ministry and UGC as well as experienced and honest professors and renowned academicians, he said.

Taking advantage of the weak University Ordinance, many corrupt and dishonest professors have grabbed vital posts, including that of VC, in public universities, the UGC chairman added.

"The University Ordinance-1973 should be amended immediately in order to recruit talented and honest professors as VCs in the public university," he noted.

According to the existing Act, the chancellor usually selects VCs from among the three names suggested by the syndicates of the universities.

On March 22, the UGC had sent letters to the authorities of main six public universities-- Dhaka University (DU), Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET), Jahangirnagar University (JU), Chittagong University (CU), Rajshahi University (RU) and Bangladesh Agriculture University (BAU)-- asking to prepare a list of senior professors.

The UGC will recommend 20 teachers from their lists, considering the educational qualification, administrative experience and sincerity, UGC sources said.

The six universities, however, are yet to submit their lists, UGC sources said.

Meanwhile, responding to the education ministry directive, four other public universities --Patuakhali Science and Technology University, Hazi Danesh Science and Technology University, Noakhali Science and Technology University and Jatiya Kabi Kazi Nazrul Islam University -- said that they do not have any senior professors.