Dr. Wazed Research and Training Institute has been given an institutional form by Begum Rokeya University.
Recently, two trade licences, one Taxpayer Identification Number, TIN and Business Identification Number, BIN have been taken under the name of the research institute. Meanwhile, UGC says that since university is not a commercial institution, trade licence is not required by any of its institutes.
University sources say that Dr. Wazed Research Institute was established in 2009 but though the university is not a commercial entity, the research institute has been brought under a commercial format by its vice chancellor, Professor, Dr. Nazmul Kalimullah.
Bangla Tribune has come in possession of copies of the trade licences.
The licence also mentions ‘education consultancy’ and ‘research centre’.
Confirming the trade licences, mayor of Rangpur City Corporation, Mostafizur Rahman, told Bangla Tribune: “the lincences were given on application.”
Meanwhile, economics professor, Dr. Morshed Hossain, told Bangla Tribune: “to provide training from the institute, trade licence and Tax Identification Number, TIN, are needed.”
However, no other research institutes of Dhaka University, BUET or RUET have any trade licence.
Several members of the UGC say that universities offer open research, and students/teachers can use the research centres because it’s mandatory.
However, a small fee is paid to use the research centres, which goes to the university fund, they added.
Many universities offer the services free of cost. When contacted for comments, vice chancellor of Begum Rokeya University, Dr. Nazmul Kalimullah, did not answer his phone.