Politics is using the public universities as a factory for raising goons, economist Prof Dr Moinul Islam said yesterday.

The practice has gone so bad that student politics actually became "subservient" politics, he said. "Our public university teachers are also deeply involved in servile politics.

“As a result the public university vice chancellors (VCs) are now appointed no longer on the basis of knowledge and wisdom but on political lobbying.”

Dr Moinul, a professor of Chittagong University, made the comments while addressing a book handover ceremony at Chittagong Press Club.

The book, “Bangladesh History, Politics, Economy, Society and Culture: Essays in Honour of Professor Alamgir Muhammad Serajuddin”, was formally handed over to Professor Emeritus Alamgir Muhammad Serajuddin, also and a former VC of Chittagong University.

Prof Serajuddin was the last VC of Chittagong University to be elected by the senate in 1988, said Dr Moinul.

“It is a matter of great regret that now politics has taken so much space in our society and politicians have taken leadership of society to such an extent that we are not getting much contribution from proper research and merit,” said poet, journalist Abul Momen.

The book, published by the University Press in April 2016, contains 30 articles written by prominent teachers and researchers from home and abroad.