A legal notice has been issued to cancel the quota for descendants of freedom fighters, children of teachers and staff, and sports quota in the admission process for the 2024-2025 academic year at Dhaka University.
The notice was signed by Md Solaiman Tushar (Barrister-at-Law), advocate of Supreme Court of Bangladesh.
The rest of the lawyers of the Supreme Court are Mahdi Zaman (Barrister-at-Law), Bayzid Hossain; and Syed Shaheed Siddique.
This notice has been emailed on Tuesday to the Vice-Chancellor, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Administration), Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic), and Registrar of Dhaka University.
The notice demands the immediate implementation of the following quotas within a 5-day timeframe: a 5% quota for freedom fighters, a 1% quota for ward/pet, a 1% quota for tribal/minorority ethnic groups, a 1% quota for Harijan and Dalit communities, a 1% quota for handicapped individuals, and a 60-seat quota for athletes.
The notice warns that if the recipients fail to take action, legal proceedings, including a writ petition to the Supreme Court, will be initiated.
The notice stated that the Dhaka University is a symbol of hope and aspiration of the Bengali nation. Since its establishment, the students, teachers and officials of Dhaka University have contributed to all democratic and rights protection movements.
The role of students-teachers and officials of Dhaka University was unforgettable in the last July-August 2024 quota reform and overthrow of the dictatorship Sheikh Hasina government.
The notice also stated that the admission process of a public university must be on the basis of merit, and the admission process of a public university on any other criteria is generally discriminatory, arbitrary, and unreasonable, not having any rational nexus with any legitimate State objectives.
The highest court of the country only fixed a five percent quota for children of freedom fighters, martyred freedom fighters, and Biranganas in jobs at government, semi-government, and autonomous bodies.
This judgment should be applied in the admission process of the Dhaka University as well. It is against the judgment of the Supreme Court to create an opportunity for admission in the freedom fighter's grandson, and granddaughter quota.
The notice also stated that special provisions could be made in favour of women or children or for the advancement of any backward section of citizens as per Article 28(04 of the Constitution of the People's Republic of Bangladesh.
The sons, and daughters of the Dhaka University teachers and staff do not fulfill the criteria. Therefore, reserving 1% in the ward/pet quota in the admission process for the sons, daughters, teachers, and staff of Dhaka University is generally discriminatory, arbitrary, and unreasonable, not having any rational nexus with any legitimate objectives.
The notice also stated that there are allegations of irregularities in the admission of players' quota. And the players' quota does not fall under the backward section as defined in the Constitution.
Therefore, the special quota for athletes in the admission process of Dhaka University is also in conflict with the constitution and against the judgment of the Supreme Court
Barrister Sulaiman Tushar said that reserving seats for the grandchildren of freedom fighters in Dhaka University admissions is contrary to the Appellate Division of the Supreme Court's ruling.
Additionally, he argued that reserving a quota for the children of university teachers and staff directly contradicts the constitution.
Moreover, he pointed out that the sports quota is prone to favoritism and corruption. Due to these reasons, a legal notice has been issued demanding the cancellation of these quotas.
"If the authorities fail to take action, legal proceedings, including a writ petition to the High Court, will be initiated."
Freedom fighter's grandchildren quota canceled
Meanwhile, the Quota Review Committee has recommended the cancellation of the freedom fighter's grandchildren quota from the Dhaka University admission exam for the 2024-25 academic year.
From this year, only children of freedom fighters will be able to apply for the freedom fighter's children quota.If the seats are not filled in the prescribed quota, the seats will be filled in accordance with the merit list.
These decisions were taken at the meeting of the Review Committee formed to add and amend the freedom fighter quota, ward quota and player quota among the admission quotas for undergraduate programs at Dhaka University on Tuesday.
- It is recommended to consider only the children of freedom fighters in the freedom fighter's children quota. In this quota, it is recommended not to consider the grandchildren of freedom fighters.
- In the past years, according to the prevailing practice in Dhaka University, if the seats are not filled in any fixed quota, it is recommended to fill the vacant seats in the order of the main merit list.
- According to the power given in the light of the decision of Agenda 5 of the meeting of the General Admission Committee on October 21, 2024, these recommendations should be implemented from the academic year 2024-25 and it was recommended to make necessary amendments in the admission notice to implement them.
