The New Nation - Internet Edition

M Khiarul Hasan

The recent controversy over the imposition of conditions to qualify students for admission tests by several departments of the public universities has gained momentum flavors to discuss whether it is rational or illogical.

Introduction of the requirements for the admission tests is an usual academic practice not only for the public universities but one can witness such practice in other academic or job recruitment tests also in a bid to enrolling quality and competent persons at the respective institutions. The new requirements are welcomed if those are introduced to justify the real qualifications to the admission seekers. But those are manipulated to keep away a section of students from contesting the admission tests; those are to be treated as an apple of discord. Now, it is high time to look into whether those new requirements are fabricated or well planed?

Every year hundreds and thousands of students pass HSC and equivalent examinations from the nine educational board of Bangladesh, but a little number of students from them get opportunity to admit into public universities, treated as dream to every admission seekers.

The admission seekers have to fight a hectic competition to win a seat at his/her desired university by employing the highest merit as well all academic excellencies. Not only his/her tests performance is enough for admission but also his/her GPA secured in the SSC and HSC examinations are inevitable to get support in the admission process.

A total of highest 22,00,45 students secured GPA-5 in the HSC and Alim examination this year from some 7,31,736 students appeared under nine educational boards.

Of them the Madrassa board grab the highest position in pass rate. But only more than twenty thousand student would be enrolled in all public universities including national university.

The admission tests are knocking at the door to every admission seekers giving no spheres to relax or thinking else without admission battle.

But it is a matter of great regret that a section of the students are seen at the university campus or elsewhere to raise their voice for ensuring their participation in the admission battle.

HSC equivalent-Alim--students passed from Madrassa board, one of the nine educational boards under the Education ministry of Bangladesh, are to expense their valuable last time to ensure their position whether they could contest the admission tests at their desired departments in the public universities.

We know that several departments in the public universities especially seven social science departments of the Dhaka University (DU) introduced new requirements asking conditions of studying 200 marks in Bangla and English separately in the HSC or equivalent levels to take part in the admission tests. This issue begets a lot controversies and confusions in the minds of the conscious personalities about the mentality of the authorities of the universities, the highest academic seats of the country.

Now it is a common asking of the conscious people why the new requirement only for Madrassa students, who secured their HSC level result from one of the nine boards of the education ministry. It is commonly claimed that the Madrassa students are being deprived from their legal rights given by the state.

The university authority is seemingly dishonoring the state law in the name of university autonomy act 1973. If the state provides all opportunities to the Madrassa students in other recruiting fields like Public Service Commission, so why the universities would not give chance to them to display their competency in the name of so called requirements. If this requirement is the process to assess the standard of Madrassa students, so firstly the syllabus of the Madrassa board should be revised and modernised with the demands of the present situation. But the meritorious students should not be kept away from applying their merit in the admission contests.

It is an easy equation that if the Madrassa students are less meritorious or less know they ultimately cast away from the admission process. On the other hand, if they can show their competencies in the admission tests they must have jurisdictional rights to get admission in their desired departments.

In this context, I can mentioned that the High Court on Sunday issued a rule asking the Dhaka University authorities to explain in a week why its impugned rules debarring Alim passed Madrassa students from admission test in seven departments "should not be declared illegal and void".

To conclude, I can say the university authorities should show their great heartedness giving the Madrassa students the chance to contest in the admission battle considering their efforts and academic qualifications as well as paying honor to the state Constitution.

Our prime mission and ultimate goal should be to build a prospect and developed country where every citizen will get his/her due rights. We should work together shoulder with shoulder for the progress of the country and betterment for countrymen being ignorant about race, sect, religion and community. Our sole identity should be 'Bangladeshi people'.

(The writer is an MA student and President of Jahangirnagar University Journalists Association (JUJA) E-mail: hasan. khairul@gmail.com )