Concerns have been raised over the academic integrity of University Grants Commission (UGC) Secretary Fakhrul Islam’s PhD thesis as he has been accused of plagiarism.
The allegation claims that Fakhrul Islam copied extensively from various sources to compile his research. It is alleged that 18 percent of the material was taken from a single Wikipedia entry.
The complaint was filed by former Rajshahi University professor Motiur Rahman and submitted to the Vice-Chancellor and Education Adviser of Dhaka University.
Fakhrul Islam received his PhD from the Department of English at Dhaka University in 2013. His research focused on the influence of Shakespeare on 19th-century Bengali drama.
Using the plagiarism detection software Turnitin, it was found that 96 percent of the content in Fakhrul’s thesis matched existing published work. Of this, 76 percent matched publications of Dhaka University itself. An additional 18 percent reportedly came from Wikipedia.
Experts say such a high level of similarity is unacceptable in academic research.
However, a deputy librarian at Dhaka University, involved in the university’s plagiarism checks, noted that since the thesis was published in 2013, any retrospective check may flag the author's own published work as matching earlier content.
Still, the official acknowledged that the 18 percent copied from Wikipedia is a serious issue. “We allow an overall similarity of up to 20 percent. Each source can contribute 1 to 2 percent. This way, total similarity remains within acceptable limits. But 18 percent from Wikipedia alone is not acceptable,” he said.
He added, “Such a large amount taken from a single source cannot be permitted. Dhaka University began plagiarism checks in 2017. There was no system in place in 2013, which is why the thesis was published.”
When asked what happens if a paper exceeds the 20 percent limit for unreferenced content, he explained that the work is returned to the author for revision. “There are precedents of documents being sent back multiple times,” he said.
The supervisor of Fakhrul Islam’s thesis, titled The Impact of Shakespeare on the Rise of Modern Bengali Plays in the Nineteenth Century, was Professor Syed Manzoorul Islam of the English Department.
Former Rajshahi University professor Motiur Rahman raised concerns over the quality of the thesis this past March. He submitted a formal complaint against Fakhrul Islam to the Vice-Chancellor and Education Adviser of Dhaka University.
In his complaint, Motiur Rahman stated that using the plagiarism detection tool Turnitin, it was found that 96 percent of the research was plagiarised. Of this, 78 percent came from Dhaka University’s own resources. He alleged that Secretary Fakhrul used this PhD degree to violate rules and regulations, receiving promotions twice—first to Additional Director and then to Director—and securing various other benefits. These actions, Rahman argued in his complaint, clearly constituted violations of official procedures.
He further alleged that Secretary Fakhrul projected himself within the UGC as a powerful official aligned with the fascist Awami League.
Asked to respond to the allegations, Fakhrul Islam said, “I obtained my PhD degree by strictly following all the rules, regulations, and academic procedures of Dhaka University. I was awarded the degree in 2013. It is beyond my comprehension why, so many years later, Turnitin is being used to present false, fabricated, and ill-intentioned narratives against me.”
He added, “Articles, research papers, and academic content published in various domains are constantly being uploaded in soft copy. As a result, identical words, phrases, explanations, and quotations are continuously accumulating in the system. Based on this, one cannot claim that the PhD thesis involved plagiarism. Rather, whether referencing, citation, and indexing were done properly should be reviewed by subject experts.”
Further inquiries revealed that after the fall of the Awami League government, Fakhrul Islam managed to secure the high-ranking post of Secretary at UGC, bypassing more senior officials such as Dr. Shamsul Arefin and Dr. Sultan Mahmud Bhuiyan. He reportedly shifted political allegiances to gain the appointment.
Moreover, after assuming the position, he allegedly consolidated his power by promoting about a dozen loyal officials. These controversial promotions sparked dissatisfaction within the UGC, and the Education Audit Department raised audit objections over alleged irregularities. The audit flagged financial mismanagement involving several crore taka in government funds.
According to UGC sources, Fakhrul Islam, once a beneficiary of the former ruling party, is now presenting himself as a vocal opponent of fascism. The interim government reportedly rewarded him with the post of Secretary as a political gesture.
UGC sources further said that looking back, Fakhrul had always positioned himself at the forefront as an ally of fascist forces. During the tenure of the now-ousted Awami League government, he actively took part in various commemorative events, standing prominently like a political figure. On the birth and death anniversaries of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, he would visit Bangabandhu Bhaban and Mujib’s mausoleum in Tungipara to lay wreaths in tribute.
Despite being a government official, he regularly participated in such programmes in the manner of a party activist. Photographs from that time serve as evidence of his political engagement.
UGC officials and staff further claimed that during the last government’s tenure, Fakhrul held his position at the UGC identifying himself as a friend of Jubo League Chairman Sheikh Fazle Shams Parash. He allegedly wielded significant influence under that affiliation.
Ironically, in a recent comment to Banglanews, the same Fakhrul said, “All the irregularities here are from the fascist government’s era. We are now clearing out that mess.”
Further investigation revealed that this same secretary—once a beneficiary of the former government—authored multiple op-eds praising the fascist regime in several mainstream newspapers as recently as mid-July last year. He frequently lauded ousted former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in his writings.
One of his columns was titled “Bangladesh-China Relations in Higher Education, Research, and Technology Development.” On 5 February 2021, he published another opinion piece in Bonik Barta titled “Quality Education and the Vision for Sustainable Development,” where he again praised the former administration.
Multiple directors of the autonomous body responsible for managing higher education in Bangladesh remarked that if such grave allegations are raised against a senior official in the sector, it speaks volumes about the state of the country’s education system.
MN/SMS/
