Rajshahi College defying admission rules

The administration of Rajshahi College has allegedly violated the education ministry's order for admitting class XI students to the 50 newly introduced seats under the English version category.

Moreover, the authorities enrolled 20 more students of Bangla version reducing the seats allocated for the English version category from 50 to 30, said the college sources.

Following rules, the education ministry selected 30 students for admission under the English version category, choosing from 35 candidates who applied online.

But the authority admitted only one of the 30, saying the others did not fulfill the "conditions" -- getting A+ in all subjects and studying in English version at the secondary level.

Prof Habibur Rahman, principal of Rajshahi College, said they did so in order to maintain the tradition and standards of education at the institution.

However, Prof Abu Bakar Siddique, convener of the inter-board admission committee of the ministry, also chairman of the Dhaka education board, said the college authority could not neglect the selection made by the inter-board committee in any way.

"If the college authority needs certain qualifications of students to maintain their standards, they have the opportunity to ask for those during circulation of the admission notice, not after the selection is made," he told The Daily Star.

The principal said the 20 seats of the 50 reserved for the English version category were given to Bangla version candidates because there was a shortage of English version aspirants.

The allegations surfaced after the college refused to admit five of the 30 selected students, and the five lodged complaints with the inter-board admission committee seeking a remedy.

Abdus Samad Mondol, former vice-principal of Rajshahi Teachers Training College, said Rajshahi College's authority did not admit his son though he was selected by the ministry's committee.

The boy was denied admission because he studied in Bangla version, he said.

Abdus Samad said classes started on July 1, but his son's admission was still uncertain.

Another parent, seeking anonymity, said his son too could not enroll despite the inter-board committee's endorsement.

Rajshahi College has 300 seats for class XI admission under the Bangla version category, and this year the education ministry added 50 seats for admission under the English version category of only science group candidates.