While the UGC authorities say that any university is required to obtain approval meeting certain preconditions to run outer campuses or any kind of centre, authorities of those private universities say they do not need any such approval.

"Any university is required to obtain approval for opening outer campus or any kind of education centre or distance learning centre," said UGC Chairman Prof M Asaduzzaman. "They must seek UGC approval for any new or extended academic programme."

America Bangladesh University (Am-Ban) is running a permanent campus in Nawabganj on the outskirts of the city and a Dhaka campus in Farmgate, according to Am-ban officials. It is going to open more campuses in Bogra, Khulna and Jessore.

It also runs an illegal campus at Sapura in Rajshahi, according to UGC records.

"The owner and vice-chancellor of Am-ban, withdrawing its activities from the city's Banani area, is carrying out various academic programmes at different places [outside the city] in illegal manner," says an investigation report of the UGC.

Founder of Southern University, which is supposed to function in Chittagong, Sarwar Jahan said, "Our Dhaka campus has already started enroling students. We have just received a letter from the education ministry about a UGC inspection of the campus."

"We opened outer campuses in Jessore and Rangpur," Jahan said.

Though the following private universities are approved to function in the capital, they run unauthorised outer campuses at other places.

Asian University of Bangladesh runs outer campuses in Rajshahi and Khulna, Southeast University in Rajshahi and Jessore, Northern University in Rajshahi and Khulna, Ahsanullah Science and Technology University in Rajshahi, and Santa Marium University in Rajshahi and Gaibandha.

Of them, Southeast, Southern, Santa Mariam and Am-Ban did not even seek approval for running outer campuses, according to UGC sources. The other universities sought approval but the UGC declined to give them permission.

"We wrote to the education ministry and UGC to open outer campuses, but the UGC did not make any response to our application for approval," said Vice-chancellor of Northern University Prof Mohammad Ali.

"As the UGC neither turned down nor accepted our proposal, we opened outer campuses and we are within the legal framework," Prof Mohammad Ali said. When asked, a UGC source said the application was turned down.

When Prof Ali's attention was drawn to the legal provision of the Private University Act, he said, "None of the universities will be able to run their programmes going by this provision. Practically, it is not possible to abide by what is provided in the law. Law keeps many provisions but it is difficult to follow them literally."

Section 10 of the Private University Act (Amendment) 1998 requires any private university to obtain approval from UGC for opening academic programmes, plan, curriculum, faculty or standard of education.

Education ministry in a circular in December 2001 said that a university has to meet certain preconditions to open outer campus.

Vice-chancellor of Asian University of Bangladesh Prof Abul Hasan M Sadeq said, "Neither the Private University Act of 1992 nor the amended act of 1998 requires to have approval for outer campus."

Asian University has approval to function in Dhaka but it runs outer campuses in Rajshahi and Khulna.

"We discussed with the UGC and wrote to the education ministry at the time of opening outer campuses," said Prof Sadeq. "State Minister for Education ANM Ehsanul Haq inaugurated our Khulna campus, which means it has approval."

When asked, the UGC chairman said: "Approval for outer campus of a university is a matter of administrative process. Mere presence of the state minister as a guest at the inauguration does not necessarily mean approval."

Vice-chancellor of Ahsanullah University of Science and Technology Dr M H Khan said, "Private University Act does not make it mandatory to seek prior approval for running outer campuses. The law only obliges to inform the authorities concerned to open outer campus."

"The UGC has the authority to cancel an outer campus if found unsatisfactory and we can improve if there is anything lacking," Dr Khan said.

An aspiring university has to first inform the education ministry, which forwards the proposal to the UGC for an assessment on whether or not the university is in a position to open outer campuses. "How can a university opens outer campus before a team of the UGC and ministry ascertains its compliance with the preconditions," the UGC chairman said.