The New Nation - Internet Edition

DU Correspondent

The University of Dhaka announced on Tuesday its highest-ever budget of Tk 164 crore for the financial year 20008-2009.

Presided over by Vice-Chancellor Prof SMA Faiz, the treasurer, Prof Syed Abul Kalam Azad, placed the Tk. 12 crore deficit budget in the senate budget session.

A major portion of the budget, 82.51 per cent, has been earmarked for the salary, allowances and pension of the teachers, officers and employees.

Around Tk 22.33 crore, which is 14.70 per cent of the total budget, has been allocated for the academic sector, which was around Tk 14.25 crore for the fiscal year 2007-08.

The Government grant will make up Tk 135.90 crore of the total outlay and Tk 16.10 crore will be mobilised from internal resources. A revised budget of Tk 155.22 crore for the financial year 2007-2008 was also presented in the session.

The allocation for amenities such as stipend, sports, transport, student welfare, excursion and part-time jobs in the proposed budget is around Tk 2.54 crore. The figure was Tk 1.53 crore in the budget for the financial year 2007-2008.

Only Tk 2,12,90,000 has been earmarked for research, which was earlier Tk 1,50,65,000.

It was the fifth budget involving more than Tk 100 crore in the history of the university. The budget in 2004-2005 was Tk 108.59 crore, in 2005-2006 Tk 112.78 crore, in 2006-2007 Tk 126 crore and the budget for 2007-08 Tk 142.45 crore.

The budget has proposed an allocation of Tk 4.88 lakh for Dhaka University Central Students' Union although its activities has remained inactive for 17 years.