Fascist Hanif Launches University in Bangladesh from India! How is This Possible?

Mahbub Ul Alam Hanif, a controversial former MP from Kushtia and joint general secretary of the banned Awami League, has sparked widespread criticism by establishing a private university in Bangladesh while in hiding in India. A key associate of the ousted dictator Hasina, Hanif’s ability to launch and oversee the *Lalon Science and Arts University* from abroad has raised serious questions about accountability in the country’s education system.

Reports indicate that on June 14, 2023, Hanif used his political influence to secure approval for the university in the name of his wife, Fouzia Alam, by manipulating the then-education ministry. The university was planned for Plots 6 and 7 of Kushtia’s Housing Estate, but no physical infrastructure exists at the site even today. Hanif was a member of the Trustee Board, with his wife as chairman. The Ministry of Education imposed 22 conditions for the university’s establishment, most of which were allegedly ignored as Hanif leveraged his influence to begin operations. On August 5, 2024, during a mass uprising, the temporary campus in a commercial building owned by the Kushtia District Council was heavily vandalized. As the situation escalated, Hanif fled to India, reportedly residing in a rented flat in Kolkata, according to reliable sources. Months after the 2024 uprising, Hanif, while still in India, moved to regain control of the university. In November 2024, the Trustee Board was restructured, removing Fouzia Alam and appointing Halimuzzaman, the CEO of Healthcare Pharma and a trusted ally of Hanif, as chairman. Locals allege that the new Trustee Board remains dominated by Hanif’s loyalists, including teachers from Islamic University and business associates. Only a few Awami League-affiliated members were strategically excluded to maintain his influence. In January 2025, *Lalon Science and Arts University* began its admission process. Five of the six approved departments are currently enrolling students, with 101 admitted: 35 in CSE, 25 in EEE, 25 in English, 6 in Public Administration, and 10 in Banking and Finance. Over 50 teachers and staff have been recruited. The previously vandalized campus has been modernized, operating on the seventh and eighth floors of the Kushtia District Council’s commercial building, despite lacking an approved design for an educational institution. Sources reveal that the university is in the process of appointing a Vice-Chancellor, with a three-member panel submitted to the University Grants Commission. Hanif’s ability to manage a private university from India underscores significant weaknesses in Bangladesh’s higher education system, highlighting political influence, administrative failures, and ethical lapses. If individuals like Hanif, branded a fascist, can control universities, it signals a grim future for the nation’s education system. Over the past 16 years, Hasina’s regime has severely damaged education through incompetent ministers who disrupted curricula, distracted students, and degraded standards.