Demand for fresh test grows louder
HC rejects writ seeking cancellation of results
The demand for cancelation of the recently published results of medical entrance examinations due to allegation of question paper leak is getting louder by the day. The results were declared for Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) entrance examinations. Different political parties, including Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), raised concerns about the leak following the arrest of a University Grants Commission official and demanded for fresh exams. Even senior Awami League leader, Suranjit Sengupta, yesterday said that the medical exam results should be cancelled and new tests should be conducted.
Meanwhile, a large number of students who appeared in the entrance examinations have been agitating since Friday, including forming human chains at various places, demanding for fresh exams.
Many students and guardians yesterday formed a human chain in front of the Jatiya Press Club in the city, but the police broke up the demonstration and detained six students.
The police said that the students did not take permission for organising the human chain. But the demonstrators said that police permission is not necessary since they dont belong to any political party.
They alleged that the medical question papers were not only leaked, but were also circulated on the social media. They demanded for fresh exams for Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS).
After the police broke up the human chain, the agitating students gathered in front of the Central Shaheed Minar where the demonstrations continued till afternoon.
The students placed their three-point demand that includes cancellation of the results, bringing the perpetrators to book and announcement of a new date for fresh exams.
Convener of Student Guardian Oikya Parishad, Hasibul Hossain, who is also an admission seeker, said that the police broke up their peaceful human chain without any provocation.
On behalf of the students he called upon the government to resolve the problem. Otherwise, they would be forced to ramp up their agitation, he said.
He informed that the student body would organise a human chain at 11:00 am on Tuesday (today) and will submit a memoranda to the Prime Minister and the health ministry to press their demand.
Hasibul said that admission seekers in Sirajganj, Tangail, Sylhet, Barisal, Khulna and Rajshahi also formed human chains to draw attention of the authorities to their demand.
Meanwhile, The High Court (HC) yesterday rejected a writ petition that was filed seeking cancellation of Fridays admission tests to the MBBS and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) courses.
After concluding the hearing on the petition, the HC benchcomprising Justice Naima Haider and Justice JN Deb Choudhurypassed the order.
Attorney general Mahbubey Alam told reporters that there was no legal bar on the authorities to admit the students who passed the medical and dental admission tests following the HC order.
A total of 82,964 students sat for the admission tests to the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) examinations. Of them, 48,448 students passed. The highest number was 94.75 and the lowest was 77.40.
There are only 11,049 seats in both public and private medical and dental colleges this year for admissions to MBBS and BDS courses. Of these, 29 public medical colleges have 3,162 seats and 64 private medical colleges have 6,000 seats. Besides, there are nine public dental colleges with 532 seats and 24 private dental colleges with 1,355 seats.
During the hearing, the attorney general told the court that an investigation would be conducted on the allegations relating to the leak of question papers. Those found involved in the alleged leak and those who have passed with the help of leaked question papers would be denied admission, he added.
The results of thousands of successful students cannot be cancelled if a few students pass on the leaked question papers, he noted.
Advocate Md Eunus Ali Akond, a Supreme Court lawyer, filed the writ petition with the HC on Sunday, seeking its directive to the government to cancel the medical entrance tests and hold a fresh exam. The petitioner also prayed to the court to order a judicial inquiry into the allegation and action against the director general of the directorate general of health services (DGHS) and the director concerned.
