Dhaka University (DU) authorities have issued a detailed explanation regarding the “complexity” surrounding the degree verification fee for former student Jinnia Tasnim, describing circulating reports on social media and in the news as “motivated.”
In a press release from the university’s Public Relations Office on Sunday, the administration stated that the publicity surrounding the verification fee intended for Tasnim’s higher education in Sweden had damaged the reputation and image of the institution.
The university clarified that no international university directly contacts Dhaka University for certificate verification. Instead, this process is managed by third-party intermediary organisations such as World Education Services (WES), First Advantage, Qualification Check, Data Flow, AMS India, and Universal Human Resources (UHR).
According to the statement, when students apply for verification, they do so through these agencies by paying a prescribed fee. The intermediary organisation then sends an email to Dhaka University, along with a $50 fee per person for certificate verification. The fee, as stipulated, must be paid by the intermediary organisation, not the foreign university.
The university explained that once the fee is received, the Office of the Controller of Examinations verifies the certificate, and the Registrar’s Office sends the verification report to the intermediary via email.
Regarding the specific case of Jinnia Tasnim, DU claimed that UHR sent an email on 4 March requesting verification but failed to pay the required fee. The authorities further alleged that when Tasnim visited the relevant office the next day, she refused to pay the fee. As a result, the university replied to UHR on the same day, requesting the payment.
DU maintained that there was no negligence or delay in the process and pointed out that all fee submission instructions are available on the university’s website.
The university also dismissed claims made by another student, Nafiz Bashir Alif, who alleged on social media that the university had ignored an email from Bologna University. DU labelled these claims “false and baseless,” asserting that no such email was ever received.
In response, Mr Alif challenged the university’s characterisation of him as a “former student,” clarifying that he is a current student of the 2020-21 session in his 8th semester. He questioned the university’s efficiency, stating, “A foreign university claims they emailed and called the Registrar’s Office using details found on the website, yet you claim not to have received them”. He further criticised the authorities for publicly calling a current student a “liar” instead of providing clarification on dedicated contact channels.
Dhaka University concluded its statement by requesting all parties to refrain from “untruthful and motivated propaganda,” expressing hope that this explanation would resolve public confusion regarding the verification fees.
