Minister lobs ball in lawyers' court

Dhaka, Sep 3  With the assurance of Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque to consider going back to the traditional system of medical and dental admission tests if the lawsuits are withdrawn, a breakthrough in the impasse over the issue seems in sight.

After the much-awaited meeting with Health Minister AFM Ruhal Haque, the protesting admission seekers halted their protest on Sunday for now and urged lawyers who filed petitions against the decision of scrapping admission test to pull out.

Aspiring admission-seekers said the lawyer Yunus Ali Akond had assured them of withdrawing the lawsuit.

But the lawyers told bdnews24.com that they would withdraw their lawsuits only when the admission was advertised, a decision that people feared might delay the admission process further.

"We have requested them and they assured us of withdrawing the lawsuit," one of the protesting students Ashik told bdnews24.com.

When heard about the lawyers' views expressed to bdnews24.com, he said on Sunday night that they would request them again tomorrow (Monday).

Aspiring medical students burst into protest on Aug 13 just a day after the Health Minister announced that GPAs in the SSC and HSC examinations would be the sole yardstick to ensure, what he said 'quality' admissions in medical and dental colleges.

Experts had earlier told bdnews24.com that as students of two sessions – current and previous – would sit the admission test, a decision in this regard should come at least a year in advance.

The dispute over the admission tests reached the High Court on Aug 14, seeking a ruling from the court. Petitioner Yunus filed a supplementary appeal on Aug 27 requesting an order to hold the admission through traditional system, but it drew a split verdict.

Father of a student filed another petition with the court against the government decision later.

In the meantime, a second group of aspirants also took to the streets more than two-week later to support the ministry's decision.

The minister called the Sunday's meeting aiming to calm the frayed tempers.

"We have filed the petition for the sake of students. We will withdraw it if their (the government's) intention is to protect the students' interest," lawyer Nazrul Islam Rajon, who is arguing for the second petition filed by a guardian, told bdnews24.com.

He, however, said they would withdraw if the government published the admission test circular.

Dr M Mushtuq Husain, General Secretary of the Bangladesh Chikitshak Sangsad, a forum of doctors, who earlier criticised the ministry's decision to scrap admission tests, said the lawyers should respond to the students' request.

"It was for the students they filed the lawsuits ... now they want it pulled out, so they (the lawyers) should do it at the earliest," he said and added, "Any delay would only delay the admission process."

He also urged the ministry to start their process of taking admission tests.

Director of the Medical Education of the Directorate General of Health Services Dr Shah Abdul Latif said withdrawal of lawsuits would help them advertise details of the admission process.

But lawyer Yunus told bdnews24.com that: "My petition went to the third bench. I'll await the hearing. But I'll withdraw once the government advertises the admission."

"What guarantee word of mouth does have? Let them publish the admission circular first."

Altogether there are 8,493 seats in all the medical and dental colleges in Bangladesh.

The number is 2,811 in the 22 government medical colleges and 4,245 in the 53 private ones. The nine public dental colleges and medical colleges' dental units have 567 seats while the 14 private dental institutes have 870 seats.