The High Court has allowed Notre Dame College to hold admission tests overruling a government order.
Published : 28 May 2014, 06:47 PM
The bench of Justices M Moazzem Hossain and Md Badruzzaman on Wednesday stayed an education ministry circular that mandates college admission based on SSC results for Notre Dame College only.
The ruling was issued after hearing a plea by the college’s Principal Hemanta Peus Rosario.
Barristers Rokanuddin Mahmud and Moin Gani represented the college at the court.
Gani told reporters they had challenged the sections 3,4 and 9 of the circular.
The High Court has stayed the sections for Notre Dame College and asked the ministry and the intermediate education board why those rules would not be declared illegal.
The education secretary, Dhaka Intermediate and Secondary Education Board chairman and inspector and the Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education have to answer to the rule within four weeks.
The education ministry in its circular ordered colleges in Dhaka and other divisional headquarters to open 90 percent of their seats to all students and admit them on the basis of results.
For Notre Dame College, Holy Cross College and St Joseph Higher Secondary School it was 80 percent.
Another 3 percent will be reserved for students from outside the city, 5 percent in Freedom Fighter quota and 2 percent for children of education ministry and college officials.
The colleges can then take in the remaining 10 percent according to their own systems.
In another section of the circular, online admission facilities were made mandatory for colleges with over 500 seats.
The circular was issued on May 18.
Notre Dame College first applied to the ministry for a permission to hold admission tests. When rejected, it took the ministry to court.