College admission in a shambles
BCL men desperate for 'political quota', make a mint out of admission
A section of Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders are doing trade over college admissions by forcing the authorities to get candidates of their choice enrolled. Many leaders of BCL, student body associated with the ruling Awami League, have already taken huge sums from admission seekers, promising them enrolment, said college sources.(The Daily Star).
Lately, the authorities of several colleges in the capital and outside had to stop the admission process for rowdy demonstrations by Chhatra League activists incensed at not getting their so-called political quota.
BCL men would not let the admission to honours first year under National University go on unless the authorities agree to take in their candidates, added the sources.
In pursuing their interests, they are violating admission rules at will.
The admission process at Dhaka College has remained stalled for last three days with the ruling party's student leaders holding tenaciously to their demand for "special quota".
In many educational institutions, academic activities have been disrupted due to fights between BCL factions seeking to establish dominance on the campuses to edge ahead in admission trade.
In Kushtia Government College, Chhatra League activists yesterday stopped admissions to first-year honours. They have asked the college body to reach an understanding with them to go ahead with the admission process, reports our Kushtia correspondent.
Rival BCL groups clashed at Kabi Nazrul College in the capital on January 28 and in Comilla Victoria College on January 29 over admission trade.
Admission situation remains chaotic also at Titumir, Eden, Badrunnessa and Mirpur Bangla colleges in the city and many reputable institutions elsewhere in the country. BCL leaders are pressurising the authorities of these colleges to take in students who are not on merit lists, sources said.
Viva voce of first year students at the Dhaka College was suspended after BCL leaders drove admission seekers out of the campus and insulted some teachers on Saturday.
They also vandalised vehicles and put barricades on Mirpur road the next day.
Sources said the Dhaka College BCL unit president and general secretary held talks with the principal and other teachers in the evening to reach a compromise.
BCL leaders charge an admission seeker Tk 10,000 to 50,000 depending on the subject the student desires to study.
They charge Tk 40,000 to 50,000 for subjects like Accounting and Management, Tk 30,000 for English or Sociology and Tk 10,000 to Tk 25,000 for other subjects, the sources said.
"Some Chhatra League leaders asked me to give them Tk 15,000 for studying my desired subject at Dhaka College. I struck a bargain with them for Tk 10,000," said an admission seeker wishing anonymity.
BCL leaders get students admitted to the college in negotiation with some teachers. A few students do not appear at the viva voce leaving the seats vacant every year. Later, students chosen by the BCL leaders fill those seats, the sources said.
But the NU this year adopted a new policy for admission to honours courses to prevent the malpractice. As per the new rules, the NU will publish results according to the seat capacity of a college without any waiting list.
If any seat remains vacant, the NU will send a list of candidates to the college concerned to fill it.
Our Kushtia correspondent reports: The authority of Kushtia Government College on Thursday published results of the admission test for honours courses in 18 subjects. Viva voce of the candidates on merit lists was to begin on Saturday as per an announcement.
BCL activists and some outsiders led by BCL college unit general secretary Al-Mamun entered the principal's room at about 1:30pm yesterday and asked him to keep at least 100 seats for their chosen students.
Principal Prof Hasanuzzaman refused to meet their demand. Later, the BCL cadres locked up rooms of several departments and the accounts section to stop sale of admission forms.
Policemen were deployed on the college campus to avert any untoward incident.
BCL college unit president Enamul Bari Sumon and general secretary Abdullah Al-Mamun told The Daily Star that a few teachers loyal to the BNP-Jamaat alliance manipulated the admission test to deprive some meritorious students of the opportunity of studying in the college and they protested it.
"If the college authorities want to resume the admission process, they have to meet our demand," they said.
Awami League Presidium member Obaidul Quader told The Daily Star that the leaders allegedly involved in the admission trade should be treated as offenders, not party activists.
"Since warning is not working, stern actions must be taken against them. They are tarnishing the image of the government and should be expelled immediately from the party," said the AL leader.
BCL men would not let the admission to honours first year under National University go on unless the authorities agree to take in their candidates, added the sources.
In pursuing their interests, they are violating admission rules at will.
The admission process at Dhaka College has remained stalled for last three days with the ruling party's student leaders holding tenaciously to their demand for "special quota".
In many educational institutions, academic activities have been disrupted due to fights between BCL factions seeking to establish dominance on the campuses to edge ahead in admission trade.
In Kushtia Government College, Chhatra League activists yesterday stopped admissions to first-year honours. They have asked the college body to reach an understanding with them to go ahead with the admission process, reports our Kushtia correspondent.
Rival BCL groups clashed at Kabi Nazrul College in the capital on January 28 and in Comilla Victoria College on January 29 over admission trade.
Admission situation remains chaotic also at Titumir, Eden, Badrunnessa and Mirpur Bangla colleges in the city and many reputable institutions elsewhere in the country. BCL leaders are pressurising the authorities of these colleges to take in students who are not on merit lists, sources said.
Viva voce of first year students at the Dhaka College was suspended after BCL leaders drove admission seekers out of the campus and insulted some teachers on Saturday.
They also vandalised vehicles and put barricades on Mirpur road the next day.
Sources said the Dhaka College BCL unit president and general secretary held talks with the principal and other teachers in the evening to reach a compromise.
BCL leaders charge an admission seeker Tk 10,000 to 50,000 depending on the subject the student desires to study.
They charge Tk 40,000 to 50,000 for subjects like Accounting and Management, Tk 30,000 for English or Sociology and Tk 10,000 to Tk 25,000 for other subjects, the sources said.
"Some Chhatra League leaders asked me to give them Tk 15,000 for studying my desired subject at Dhaka College. I struck a bargain with them for Tk 10,000," said an admission seeker wishing anonymity.
BCL leaders get students admitted to the college in negotiation with some teachers. A few students do not appear at the viva voce leaving the seats vacant every year. Later, students chosen by the BCL leaders fill those seats, the sources said.
But the NU this year adopted a new policy for admission to honours courses to prevent the malpractice. As per the new rules, the NU will publish results according to the seat capacity of a college without any waiting list.
If any seat remains vacant, the NU will send a list of candidates to the college concerned to fill it.
Our Kushtia correspondent reports: The authority of Kushtia Government College on Thursday published results of the admission test for honours courses in 18 subjects. Viva voce of the candidates on merit lists was to begin on Saturday as per an announcement.
BCL activists and some outsiders led by BCL college unit general secretary Al-Mamun entered the principal's room at about 1:30pm yesterday and asked him to keep at least 100 seats for their chosen students.
Principal Prof Hasanuzzaman refused to meet their demand. Later, the BCL cadres locked up rooms of several departments and the accounts section to stop sale of admission forms.
Policemen were deployed on the college campus to avert any untoward incident.
BCL college unit president Enamul Bari Sumon and general secretary Abdullah Al-Mamun told The Daily Star that a few teachers loyal to the BNP-Jamaat alliance manipulated the admission test to deprive some meritorious students of the opportunity of studying in the college and they protested it.
"If the college authorities want to resume the admission process, they have to meet our demand," they said.
Awami League Presidium member Obaidul Quader told The Daily Star that the leaders allegedly involved in the admission trade should be treated as offenders, not party activists.
"Since warning is not working, stern actions must be taken against them. They are tarnishing the image of the government and should be expelled immediately from the party," said the AL leader.
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