A group of students have claimed the decision of the Dhaka University authorities to bar applicants from taking the admission test twice will deprive them of higher education.
Over a hundred students and guardians yesterday demonstrated near a memorial, known as Rajur Bhashkorjo, on the campus against the decision, and said the decision was made public after the admission test was held.
Chanting different slogans against the decision, the protesters also accused the university authorities of cheating them, claiming that almost half the seats were bagged by second-timers this year. They urged the authorities to cancel the decision.
Rubel Chowdhury, one of the protesters who completed his higher secondary education from Milestone College, said: “Why should we be the victims of the new decision? Who will take our future responsibility?”
“The university could have made the announcement before the admission test. We then could have applied to other public universities,” he said.
Ahmed Noman, a former student of Rajuk Uttara Model College, termed the reasons mentioned in favour of the decision weak.
“It was said the decision was taken to stop the private coaching business, unequal competition, to address the problem of seats falling vacant in many departments and to stop fraud. But how do they plan to get rid of these problems as a chairman of a renowned coaching home is a syndicate member of the university?” he said.
“Like me, the majority of the students go to the coaching centres before the HSC results are even published. So how is it possible to stop coaching business by implementing the decision?” he added.
Nazma Akthar, mother of an applicant, slammed the vice-chancellor, saying: “After the C unit results were published, he said the unsuccessful candidates should not feel hopeless as they have another chance next year. Now we have the new decision that runs against his previous statement.”
Abul Hossain Talukdar, father of Anika Tabassum who took the test from A unit, said he was concerned about her daughter’s high education.
“I call on the university authorities to cancel the decision for the sake of the large number of prospective students,” he added.
Demonstrators wanted to gather at Shahbagh intersection but police barred them. They said they would form a human chain on Sunday morning at the same place.
Statistics show a significant number of students secure admission the second time. In the session of 2013-14, 3,680 were second-timers out of 6,890 admitted students while the number was 3,280 out of 6,620 in 2012-13 session and 3,340 out of 6,660 in 2011-12 session.