Admission process suspended at JU

Authorities of Jahangirnagar University (JU) have suspended all admission related activities due to the demonstration of its progressive students’ organisations demanding the cancellation of development fee. Abu Bakar Siddique, registrar of the university, said the university administration would sit with JU departments on December 11 to take decision regarding the development fee for the departments. “All admission related activities will remain suspended till the next decision comes,” said Siddique yesterday. Leaders and activists of progressive students’ associations blockaded Agrani Bank, JU branch, since Thursday morning, which postponed the admission procedures in honours programme for 2016-2017 session yesterday.   Despite discussion between the university administration and the students’ bodies several times on the day, no solution came. Later, in the afternoon, Vice Chancellor Farjana Islam, expressing her regret, told a team of guardians of admission seekers, who went to meet the authorities, that the admission process was suspended for indefinite period.   There are allegations that the departments of the university realizes extra fees amounting between Tk5 thousand to even Tk10 thousand along with the admission fee from the students. They do not even give any receipt for the received fees. Besides, every year the amount of the fees increases. Masuk Helal Anik, acting president of Samajtantrik Chhatra Front, JU unit, said the university had earned Tk10 crore 74 lakh from the sale of admission forms this year. It was a business and there was no rule of taking extra fee in the name of the development of the departments, he added. Abid Sarkar Shohag, general secretary of Chhtra Union, JU unit, said: “There was a University Grant Commission direction to submit 40% of what the university earns from admission forms’ sale. But, the university does not follow it. If it would be implemented, no extra fees would be required to be realised in the name of development fee.” However, the Dhaka Tribune tried to contact the VC over phone but she did not receive the call.