Public trust in higher education is difficult to build and easy to destroy. That is why statements made by ministers, particularly those responsible for shaping national discourse on education and research, carry enormous weight. When a minister publicly suggests that most research conducted at Dhaka University is plagiarised, the issue extends far beyond a casual remark. It becomes a matter of institutional credibility, academic integrity, and public accountability.
Such a statement raises a simple but unavoidable question:
Where is the evidence?
If the allegation is true, the nation deserves to know. The minister should immediately place before the public a comprehensive, independently verifiable assessment demonstrating that a majority of research produced by Dhaka University is indeed plagiarised. Such evidence should include clear methodology, independent review, documented cases, and transparent data.
Without evidence, the statement remains an allegation—one directed not at a single individual but at thousands of teachers, researchers, postgraduate students, and scholars who have dedicated their lives to producing knowledge for Bangladesh.
This is not a minor accusation.
Plagiarism is among the gravest forms of academic misconduct. To suggest that “most” research from the country’s oldest and largest university is plagiarised is effectively to question the integrity of generations of academics, many of whom have represented Bangladesh in international scholarship, advised governments, contributed to policy development, and helped shape national intellectual life.
No serious scholar would deny that plagiarism exists. It exists in universities across the world. Cases have been identified in institutions ranging from Harvard and Oxford to universities throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe. The existence of plagiarism, however, is entirely different from claiming that plagiarism defines an institution.
Indeed, Dhaka University itself has introduced anti-plagiarism policies, strengthened academic regulations, and established procedures to address allegations of misconduct. These are not the actions of an institution indifferent to academic integrity. They are the actions of an institution attempting to strengthen research standards in a rapidly changing academic environment.
The minister’s statement therefore requires clarification.
If there is evidence of widespread plagiarism, it should be made public. If there is no such evidence, then academic honesty requires something equally important: a public retraction and apology.
This is not merely about Dhaka University. Today it may be Dhaka University. Tomorrow it may be another public university. The broader question is whether public officials can make sweeping allegations about academic institutions without providing evidence.
Universities should always be open to criticism. Their research should be scrutinized. Their governance should be questioned. Their performance should be evaluated. But criticism must be evidence-based. The same standards of evidence that we expect from researchers should also apply to those who publicly judge them.
There is also a larger issue at stake.
Over the past several decades, a narrative has increasingly emerged portraying public universities as inefficient, overly political, and incapable of producing high-quality research. Yet despite financial constraints, bureaucratic obstacles, and limited research funding, Dhaka University continues to rank among Bangladesh’s leading universities and remains one of the country’s most significant producers of scholars, researchers, and public intellectuals.
Criticism can strengthen institutions. Unsupported accusations weaken them.
The minister now faces a choice.
Either present the evidence and allow the nation to examine it through transparent academic scrutiny, or acknowledge that the statement was inaccurate and offer a public apology to the academic community.
Anything less risks undermining public confidence not only in a university but also in the principles of evidence, accountability, and intellectual integrity that should guide public life.
The academic community should respond firmly but responsibly. Teachers, researchers, students, alumni, and citizens have every right to demand evidence, seek clarification, and engage in lawful democratic action to defend the integrity of higher education.
In a knowledge society, allegations must be proven. If they cannot be proven, they should be withdrawn.
That is not merely a matter of courtesy.
It is a matter of academic justice.
The author is a professor at the Department of Women and Gender Studies, University of Dhaka.
