BCL reiterates DU dean’s statement on admission without tests

Bangladesh Chhatra League leaders, who won the DUCSU (Dhaka University Central Students’ Union) elections, on Tuesday claimed that the students of Dhaka University can be admitted to evening programmes appearing in oral exams only.

DUCSU assistant general secretary (AGS) and also DU BCL unit general secretary Saddam Hossain stated this at a media conference at the DUCSU conference room in the afternoon.

These BCL leaders organised the conference to inform the media of their stance about the ongoing situation in the campus.

A students’ body, BCL, is an affiliated organisation of ruling Bangladesh Awami League.

Earlier on 10 September, the university’s business faculty dean Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam said at a media conference that the students who completed graduation and post graduation from DU can be enrolled in evening programmes without any written test.

He also said that those students only have to take an oral exam and there was no admission circular needed for such admission as per a decision allegedly made by the Chairman’s Committee.

The statement was made following an 8 September report of Prothom Alo that unveiled that 34 former and current leaders of BCL got admission into the Masters of Tax Management Programme under the Banking and Insurance Department.

The admissions were reportedly made to maintain the BCL leaders’ student status after the DUCSU elections date had been announced on 11 February.

AGS Saddam Hossain told the conference that those who have been elected in the DUCSU polls, had taken admission in evening programmes in keeping with all the rules, regulations and norms of the university.

This is not true that they have been given the chance because the belong to Bangladesh Chhatra League, he added.

“They did not take admission using their position in Bangladesh Chhatra League. Rather they did it as students. Not only the BCL men, leaders and activists of many other active student organisations (Chhatra Dal, Chhatra Union, Chhatra Federation and others) also took admission in this way. It is sad that a specific student organisation is being slammed,” he said.

Saddam also alleged that those who were rejected by the general students in the DUCSU polls have been trying to create trouble on campus.

Eight of the students who evaded the written exams, contested for the posts of secretary and members in DUCSU polls, and seven won. Two contested for the posts of VP in two hall unions. One contestant won in the polls held on 11 March after a 28-year hiatus.

As a reaction to the 8 September report, dean Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam told the media on 10 September that two years back, the business faculty Chairman’s Committee made a decision to give students who join jobs before obtaining the Master degree, an opportunity to get the degree through evening courses.

The students from other faculties of Dhaka University also can get admission by sitting for the viva voce only while the students outside the DU must appear both in written and viva tests as per the rules, he added.

Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam further said that evening programmes are the faculties’ own programmes and they do not need to go to the academic council or syndicate for any change in these programmes.

The faculties change rules by themselves and conduct the programmes and apprise the university, the dean claimed.

Kismatul Ahsan was the chairman of finance department at the time.

He told Prothom Alo that he could not recall any such decision taken to give opportunity to DU students.

The same was reiterated by a former chairman of Management and Information Systems department of the university.

About the statements of Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam, Social Science faculty dean Sadeka Halim said there is no scope of admission without circular.

Reiterating what the business faculty dean Shibli Rubayat Ul Islam said, DUCSU AGS Saddam Hossain claimed business faculty Chairman’s Committee in a meeting took the decision to give opportunity to DU students to take admission without written tests.

Terming admission of students before the DUCSU elections a ‘tradition’, Saddam said Chhatra Dal leader Amanullah Aman and Khairul Kabir Khokon were elected as DUCSU VP and GS in 1990 taking admission in the same manner.

Before them, Mahmudur Rahman Manna and Mushtaq Hossain also took admission just before the elections.

Among others, DUCSU literary secretary Mazharul Kabir, science and technology affairs secretary Arif Ibne Ali, common room and cafeteria affairs secretary Lipi Akhter and member Nipu Islam, all elected from the BCL Panel, were also present at the conference.

However, DUCSU GS Golam Rabbani, elected from the same panel was not present here.