Over 2,000 seats are likely to remain vacant in higher secondary level in the rural colleges of Chittagong as the institutions have not yet received adequate number of applications so far. A total of 83,301 students have applied to enroll against 1, 03,450 seats in 230 colleges in five districts of the region under Chittagong   Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board. According to the information provided by the education board, this year, a total of 20,149 seats will remain unfilled in the rural colleges. However, maximum rural colleges received poor number of applications against their total available seats; the scenario is utterly reversed in the cases of the colleges which are located in the port city. The six government colleges of the port city received applications from students for admission more than ten times compared to their seats. A total of 52,171 students applied in six government colleges against a total of 5875 available   seats to get enrolled in one of the city’s highly prestigious government colleges. As such, nine students applied on an average of every seat in six Government College of the city. This year around 46,296 students who applied to the six government colleges will still not get a chance to study any of the highly reputed government college in the port city due to unavailable seats.
Chittagong Government College received the highest number of the applications, compared to their seats. Only at Chittagong Government College, a total of 10,163 students applied against its only 800 seats while a total of 14,743 students applied at  Government Hazi Muhammad Mohsin College against 1,500 available seats,  8,841 students applied at Chittagong City Government College against 1,875 available seats, 1,760 students applied against 800  seats at Government Commerce College and a total of 6,664 students applied against 900 available seats at Government Women College.
When contacted, Dr Anupam Sen, a social scientist and educationist, told The Independent, “Due to impact of urbanisation, this trend has been created. The people of rural areas try to migrate to the city. The city life is attractive from different aspects and in the city, there are so many opportunities.
The colleges of the city are well equipped and have good teachers compared to the rural colleges.”  Many colleges in the rural areas, especially those in the upazila level, do not get students against their demand.  Many seats of the colleges of upazila level are remaining vacant.
Only 26 students applied at ‘Patiya Mojapharabad Jashoda Nagandra Degree College against its 200 available seats. So, at the college, a total of 174 seats are likely to remain unfilled this year. When contacted, Sumon Barua, inspector (college section) of Chittagong Secondary and Higher Secondary Education Board, told The Independent, “In the rural colleges, education facilities are less than the colleges of the city and that there is a tendency among the students to come to the city is one of the reasons that the colleges located in the city receive huge applications against their available seats.” “I have applied to enroll in Chittagong College as the college is most prestigious institution in the city.  The teachers of the college are very much learned which attract me to apply at the college,” said Jesmin Akhter Jui, a student who came from Boalkali upazila of the district.