Bangladesh, May 13 -- Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday blamed politically motivated teacher recruitment and a weak research culture for the University of Dhaka's poor showing in international academic rankings, calling on the country's premier institution to overhaul its hiring practices and embrace merit-based appointments.

Speaking during a views-exchange programme at the university's Muzaffar Ahmed Chowdhury Auditorium, the prime minister was candid in his assessment.

"Unfortunately, the kind of image we associate with Dhaka University is not reflected in international rankings," he said, responding to a question from a student.

"One of the key reasons is that teachers were probably not recruited in the way they should have...