SC fines 10 pvt medical colleges Tk 10cr

The Supreme Court yesterday fined 10 private medical colleges Tk 1 crore each for admitting 153 candidates, who did not meet necessary requirements set by the health ministry and Dhaka University (DU), in admission tests. 
The apex court ordered the colleges to give half of the fine to DU, which controls professional examinations of the country's medical colleges, and to deposit the rest to the National Liver Foundation of Bangladesh and Kidney Foundation Bangladesh in 10 days.
Asking DU to keep the money as a fixed deposit to use its interest as stipend for students, the SC also ordered it to allow the students to sit for their first professional examinations.
The National Board of Revenue was asked not to impose any VAT and/or charge on this money.
The 10 private medical colleges are: MH Samorita Medical College, City Medical College, Nightingale Medical College, ZH Sikder Medical College, Dhaka Central International Medical College, East West Medical College, Tairunnessa Memorial Medical College, Aichi Medical College, Care Medical College and Ashiyan Medical College.
An Appellate Division bench passed the orders following a leave-to-appeal petition filed by DU challenging a June 13 order of the High Court asking DU to give registration and admit cards to the students after their petition. 
On August 10, when hearing DU's petition, the SC ordered chairmen and principals of the colleges to explain by yesterday why they should not be prosecuted and penalised for admitting the students violating rules. 
The colleges yesterday, however, submitted their explanations, saying that they admitted the students in line with an HC directive.