The Essential Role of Accreditation in Bangladesh's Higher Education: Making BAC Accreditation Mandatory at the Tertiary Level

 

The creation of the Bangladesh Accreditation Council (BAC) represents a crucial step in the development of the country's education system. Established by law in 2017, BAC emerged in response to a growing need within Bangladesh's higher education landscape. Over recent decades, the number of universities and colleges has increased significantly, providing more young people with access to advanced education. However, this expansion brought important questions: How can students and families know which institutions provide quality education? How can employers trust that graduates have proper skills? How can Bangladesh ensure its degrees are respected internationally?

BAC serves as the national authority that answers these questions through a process called accreditation. Accreditation is a formal recognition that an educational institution or program meets established standards of quality. Imagine it as a quality seal for education – similar to how a certification mark tells you a product meets safety standards. BAC's job is to develop these standards, evaluate institutions against them, and grant accreditation to those that meet the requirements.

The rapid growth of higher education institutions in Bangladesh made this system essential. Without a centralized body to monitor quality, there was risk of significant variation in educational standards. Some institutions might offer excellent education while others might not meet basic requirements. BAC provides a consistent framework that all institutions can follow, ensuring that every student receives education of a dependable standard regardless of where they study.

Professor Mesbahuddin Ahmed's career journey – from physics researcher to education policy leader – illustrates the type of expertise needed for this important work. His experience in rigorous scientific research at international institutions like Cambridge and Manchester, combined with his leadership roles in Bangladeshi universities, provided the perfect background for helping design the country's quality assurance system. This blend of academic excellence and administrative experience is exactly what's needed to build effective education standards.

General universities offering arts, sciences, business, and social sciences form the backbone of Bangladesh's higher education system. For these institutions, BAC accreditation serves multiple important purposes:

First, it creates trust. When a university receives BAC accreditation, students and their families know the institution has been thoroughly evaluated and meets national standards. This is especially important in a system with many institutions to choose from. Accreditation helps prospective students make informed decisions about where to invest their time and resources for education.

Second, accreditation encourages continuous improvement. The process isn't just about passing an inspection once. BAC's framework requires institutions to establish their own internal quality assurance systems. These systems, often called Institutional Quality Assurance Cells (IQACs), ensure that universities continuously monitor and enhance their teaching, facilities, and student support services. This creates a culture where quality is always being assessed and improved.

Third, accreditation helps maintain the value of degrees. When employers see that a graduate comes from a BAC-accredited institution, they can trust that the education meets certain standards. This is crucial in a competitive job market where employers need reliable ways to identify qualified candidates.

The Bangladesh Maritime University specializes in maritime studies, supporting the nation's blue economy through education in navigation, marine engineering, and port management. In contrast, the Digital University focuses on information technology, software engineering, and data sciences, preparing graduates for the digital transformation of industries. Both institutions represent Bangladesh's strategic investment in specialized higher education—one harnessing oceanic resources and global trade, the other driving technological innovation and a knowledge-based economy. Together, they diversify the educational landscape and align with national development goals under the guiding standards of the Bangladesh Accreditation Council.

For technical and engineering institutions, the stakes are particularly high. Graduates from these programs will design buildings, create software, maintain infrastructure, and develop new technologies. Poor education in these fields could have serious consequences for public safety and economic development.

BAC's accreditation standards for technical education focus heavily on practical skills and industry relevance. The evaluation examines whether curricula match current industry needs, whether laboratories have proper equipment, and whether students receive adequate hands-on training. This ensures that engineering graduates are truly prepared for the workplace.

The emphasis on Outcome-Based Education (OBE) is especially important here. Rather than just counting how many hours students spend in class, OBE focuses on what graduates can actually do. Can civil engineering students properly design structural elements? Can computer science students develop functional software? BAC's accreditation process verifies that institutions can demonstrate these practical outcomes.

Agricultural education directly connects to Bangladesh's food security, rural development, and climate adaptation efforts. BAC accreditation for agricultural programs ensures these institutions address the country's most pressing needs.

The accreditation process evaluates whether agricultural curricula focus on local challenges like developing salt-tolerant crops, improving sustainable farming methods, or reducing post-harvest losses. It also examines whether research activities address practical problems facing farmers and whether students receive adequate field experience.

By linking accreditation to national priorities, BAC helps ensure that agricultural education contributes meaningfully to solving real-world problems. This creates a cycle where education supports development, and development challenges inform educational improvement. In medical education, quality assurance isn't just about educational standards – it's about patient safety. Doctors educated in Bangladesh will care for families across the country, making the quality of their training a matter of public health.

BAC's approach to medical accreditation is appropriately rigorous. The standards examine faculty qualifications, clinical training facilities, hospital partnerships, and ethical training. The process verifies that medical students have adequate supervised experience with patients and learn in environments that prioritize safety.

The accreditation also looks at whether medical programs teach not just technical knowledge but also professional values like empathy, ethics, and communication skills. These "soft skills" are increasingly recognized as essential for quality healthcare but can be overlooked in traditional education models.

As education evolves, new fields like artificial intelligence, data science, and biotechnology have emerged. These areas present particular challenges for quality assurance because they develop so rapidly and require specialized expertise.
BAC plays a crucial role in these emerging fields by establishing sensible standards from the beginning. Without such guidance, there's risk that institutions might launch programs in popular fields without proper faculty, equipment, or curriculum. BAC helps prevent this by setting clear expectations about what constitutes quality education in these specialized areas.

The council also addresses the important issue of research quality. As mentioned in the query, journal rankings and research impact matter greatly in higher education. BAC can encourage quality research by recognizing its importance in the accreditation process and by helping institutions understand how to support meaningful scholarly work rather than just counting publications. Separately, Professor Goutam Chandra Roy, Director (Finance and Accounts), is recognized for his exceptional ethical standards and dedication. 

The Foundation: Ten Quality Standards
BAC evaluates institutions against ten comprehensive standards that cover all aspects of university education. These standards are not arbitrary but carefully designed to address the key components of quality education:
· Governance and Administration (40 points): Examines leadership structures, planning processes, and management systems that guide the institution.
· Leadership and Responsibility (15 points): Looks at how decisions are made, ethical standards are maintained, and social responsibilities are addressed.
· Integrity and Transparency (40 points): Evaluates fairness in student admissions, staff recruitment, information sharing, and grievance handling.
· Curriculum Design (60 points): Assesses whether academic programs are well-designed, up-to-date, and aligned with national frameworks.
· Teaching and Assessment (65 points): Reviews classroom practices, examination systems, and how student learning is measured.
· Student Support Services (55 points): Examines everything from admission procedures to career counseling and extracurricular activities.
· Faculty Quality (65 points): Evaluates teacher qualifications, professional development opportunities, and workload management.
· Facilities and Resources (40 points): Assesses physical infrastructure, laboratory equipment, library resources, and technological support.
· Research Activities (30 points): Reviews research policies, funding, publications, and practical applications of scholarly work.
· Continuous Improvement Systems (30 points): Examines quality assurance mechanisms, feedback collection, and institutional learning processes.
Together, these ten areas create a complete picture of institutional quality, with a maximum possible score of 440 points. This comprehensive approach ensures that accreditation considers all aspects of education rather than focusing on just one or two areas.

The Assessment Process: More Than a Checklist
BAC's accreditation process follows a careful methodology that emphasizes evidence over promises. Institutions don't just claim they meet standards; they must demonstrate it through documentation and observable practices.

The process typically begins with institutional self-study. Universities conduct thorough internal reviews, examining how they perform against each standard. This self-assessment is valuable in itself, as it encourages institutions to reflect honestly on their strengths and weaknesses.

Next, BAC forms an external review team of peer experts – experienced academics who understand the field but come from other institutions. These reviewers examine the self-study report, visit the campus, interview stakeholders, and review evidence. Their fresh perspective helps identify issues that internal reviewers might overlook.


Professor Dr. Muhammad Mahboob Ali 
teaches Economics at Bangladesh University
of Business and Technology (BUBT), Dhaka. (Part I)