The government must adopt liberal policies and let the universities function independently, a new association of teachers demanded today.

They came up with the call at a press conference reflecting on the crises at universities and improving the quality of education in the country.

University Teachers' Network -- a left leaning university teachers' group -- organised the event to announce its launch at the Dhaka University Club.

The problems of the universities are interrelated to those of the state machinery, they said in the preamble on the resolution on the crises of tertiary education.

The government does not believe in the universities and try to exploit the universities for its interests, the preamble read. “The government must adopt liberal policies and let the universities run independently.”

In order to advance the country on the developing trend, there must be big investments in the universities and the overall education sector, it said.

“The universities must step aside from the commercialisation shift following the footprint of neoliberal ideology, and the entrance to tertiary education must be open for the poorer segment of the society,” they said.

The inclination to increase education fee each year must see an end, it also said.