The central library of Jagannath University, intended as a hub for academic study and research, has largely become a centre for government job preparations, leaving students鈥� academic pursuits neglected.
Inside the library, most students are found preparing for BCS examinations. Guidebooks, question papers, and issues of Current Affairs, a periodical offering a shortcut to general knowledge, were piled on tables, with students deeply engrossed in them.
Tanvir Ahmed, a student of Mass Communication and Journalism who prepares for government jobs at the library, said, 鈥淭he primary reason is the strong desire for financial stability, social status, and job security that a government job provides. But this growing trend undermines our education system. Instead of conducting research, generating new ideas, or developing skills, students are stuck memorizing notes and facts.鈥�
By 7:30am, students can be seen lining up outside the library to secure seats. The majority focus on government job preparation rather than academic reading.
Tonmoy Sarkar, a student from the science faculty, said that some students come to the library during semester exams but often cannot find enough books or space for academic study. Job-seekers occupy most seats early in the morning, leaving little room for those who come for academic purposes.
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Mohammed Anamul Haque, the university librarian, said that the library has sufficient resources for academic study, yet most students come here for government job preparation. The number of students engaged in academic reading is low, though not absent altogether.
鈥楾he main problem is space. If we had enough room, we could have arranged a separate section for academic study so that no students would have to leave,鈥� Anamul also said.
Kazi Faruk Hossain, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Education and Research, said, 鈥楿niversities are meant to produce skilled human resources in specific fields, yet most of our institutions still follow a conventional system that fails to achieve this.鈥�
The lack of practical collaboration between academic study and professional fields leaves students unprepared, pushing the majority to chase government jobs, he added.
鈥楤angladesh risks producing graduates who are less equipped for global competition. Universities must reform their curricula, and recruitment policies should ensure field-wise opportunities for skilled graduates,鈥� he also observed.
The library has about 30,000 books, in addition to hundreds of thousands of soft copies of journals and other resources for its users, employees said, adding that the central library operates with a cataloguing system.
