Highlights
- VC’s daughter admitted with only 32,000+ merit position and 40 marks
- Migrated to Biology Faculty, though admission stopped at 5,035 merit position
- Students raise questions about fairness and demand abolition of pôshyo quota
- Total 21 students admitted under different quotas this year
- University authority claims admission was done according to rules
Admission Controversy in Barishal University
A major controversy has sparked at Barishal University after the Vice-Chancellor’s daughter was admitted through the pôshyo (offspring) quota, despite having a very low merit position in the cluster admission test.
She secured almost 32,000th position and scored only 40 marks, which initially allowed her to enter a department under the Science Faculty. Later, she migrated to the Biology Faculty. This decision has been widely criticized, as the Biology Faculty allowed admissions only up to the 5,035th merit position this year.
Other Students Also Admitted Through Quota
According to reports, this year three students, including the VC’s daughter, were admitted under the pôshyo quota. Among them:
- The son of Mahmudul Hasan, a store officer of the university, scored 53.50 marks.
- The son of Arif Hossain Suman, an electrician, scored 39.50 marks.
In total, 21 students were admitted through different quotas this academic year, including pôshyo, freedom fighter’s children, small ethnic groups, Harijan, Dalit, BKSP, and disabled quotas.
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Students Question Fairness
Many students are strongly questioning the decision, saying that it is unfair and discriminatory. They argue that if the daughter of a Vice-Chancellor cannot get admitted on merit, why should she enjoy special privileges through quotas?
A student from the History Department said:
“যে বৈষম্যের বিরুদ্ধে আমরা এতদিন লড়াই-সংগ্রাম করেছি, আজ সেই সংগ্রামের ফলাফল কোথায়? বিশ্ববিদ্যালয়ের শিক্ষক বা কর্মকর্তা-কর্মচারীদের সন্তানরা পড়াশোনার ক্ষেত্রে নানা সুযোগ-সুবিধা পায়। অথচ একজন খেটে খাওয়া সাধারণ মানুষের সন্তান সেই সুযোগ থেকে বঞ্চিত হয়। এটা কি ন্যায়সংগত? বরিশাল বিশ্ববিদ্যালয় থেকে যত দ্রুত সম্ভব এই অন্যায্য পোষ্য কোটা বাতিল করা হোক।”
Translation: “The discrimination we have fought against for so long—where is the result of that struggle today? Children of teachers and staff enjoy many facilities in education, while the children of ordinary working families are deprived. Is this fair? The unfair pôshyo quota should be abolished from Barishal University as soon as possible.”
Authority Defends the Admission
In response to the controversy, Associate Professor Dr. Rahat Hossain Faisal, a member of the Admission Technical Committee, defended the admission process. He said:
“নিয়ম মেনেই ভর্তি কার্যক্রম সম্পন্ন হয়েছে। ৩০ নম্বর পাস মার্ক অতিক্রম করলেই নির্ধারিত কোটা ব্যবহার করা যায়। উপাচার্যের মেয়ে কোনো বাড়তি সুবিধা পাননি।”
Translation: “The admission process has been completed according to the rules. Once the passing mark of 30 is crossed, the respective quota can be used. The VC’s daughter did not receive any extra advantage.”
Breakdown of Quota-Based Admissions This Year
Apart from the pôshyo quota, 18 other students were admitted under various quota categories this year:
- Unit A (Science): 3 Disabled quota, 1 Harijan/Dalit
- Unit B (Arts & Social Sciences): 4 Freedom fighter’s children, 2 Disabled, 1 Harijan/Dalit, 1 Small ethnic group
- Unit C (Business Studies): 2 Small ethnic group, 1 BKSP, 1 Freedom fighter’s child, 1 Harijan/Dalit, 1 Disabled
This incident has fueled fresh debates about the validity and fairness of quotas in public universities, especially the pôshyo quota, which critics say benefits only influential families.
Source: Rtv
