Dhaka, Oct 26 (bdnews24.com) - The High Court has asked Dhaka University authorities to show cause as to why disputed restrictions in admission to seven DU departments, affecting madrasa students, should not be declared illegal.
A High Court bench of Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain and Kamrul Islam Siddiqui gave the order on Sunday on a writ petition by five admission seekers to Dhaka University who secured GPA-5s in madrasa education board examinations.
Dhaka University vice chancellor, pro-vice chancellor, registrar, controller of examinations, deans of arts and social science faculties and chairmen of seven departments concerned have been asked to reply to the show cause notice within a week.
Several departments have introduced rules that bar students from seeking admission who failed to study English and Bangla for 100 + 100 mark exams at HSC or equivalent level.
The rules affect madrasa students, who argue the new criteria were discriminatory.
Lawyer for the petitioners, barrister Abdur Razzak said the Dhaka University Ordinance 1973 does not contain any provision that admission seekers must have studied 200 mark exams in Bangla and English.
"The Dhaka University admission notice, published on Sept 23, did not mention any such condition either," he argued.
The education ministry, in a 1986 circular, also declared that Alim exams will be considered of equal value to HSC exams, Razzak pointed out.
The DU department heads separately imposed the conditions without approval of the university syndicate, he claimed.
"So the imposition of the conditions is motivated, discriminatory and illegal," the lawyer concluded.
The writ petitioners sought a court order staying the admission process at Dhaka University, but the Court gave no such order.
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