Dhaka, July 17 (IANS): The Bangladesh government on Sunday held a meeting with authorities of all private universities in the country against the backdrop of several of their students being linked to militant outfits.

The meeting, presided over by Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal took place on capital Dhaka, bdnews24 reported.

Education Minister Nurul Islam Nahid, University Grants Commission Chairman Abdul Mannan, Bangladesh Police chief Shahidul Hoque and other top officials of security forces were present at the meeting.

Apart from officials and trustee board members of universities, students, teachers and parents also took part.

Ninety-five private universities have the licence to operate across Bangladesh but only 80 function currently.

The government and parents have raised security concerns over private university students going missing, as it has emerged that some of those involved in recent militant attacks were from private universities.

Islamic State reportedly published photos of five gunmen who killed 22 in a Dhaka cafe earlier this month. The gunmen also were gunned down during the operation to rescue the hostages in the cafe.

Soon afterwards, a suspected militant was killed during a gunfight following an attack on police guarding the Sholakia Eid congregation ground on July 7.

Of those six youths, four were from English-medium schools.

Two of them were students of the North South University and another of BRAC University.

They were reported missing for months, their families said.

Last year, an investigation team of the University Grants Commission found jihadi books of banned militant outfit Hizb-ul Tahrir in the university library.

Media reports said several teachers and students of the university were expelled for their links with militancy.

The government has asked the families to inform police if any of their young members has been missing. The educational institutions have also been asked to inform bout absentees.