The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Sunday fined three Private universities Tk 10 lakh each for violating a provision of University Grants Commission (UGC) in admitting students in the Law Department.
The Private universities are Eastern University, Southeast University and Bangladesh Islami University.
Among the universities, Eastern and Bangladesh Islami University have been asked to deposit the money in the account of the Lever Transplant Unit in BIRDEM hospital, while Southeast University has been asked to deposit the amount in the account of the Kidney Foundation.
A six-member Bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order after disposing of three review petitions filed by Bangladesh Bar Council. The Supreme Court, however,
upheld the High Court order directing the Bangladesh Bar Council to allow the candidates, who received Law degrees from the three universities, to fill up their forms and to issue registration cards so that they can appear for the Bar Council test.
As per the UGC provision, a private university can’t admit more than 50 students in LLB program in one semester. But 11 private universities including the trio violated the provision.
Additional Attorney General Murad Reza appeared in the court on behalf of Bangladesh Bar Council, while Advocate AM Amin Uddin and Advocate Shah Monjurul Hoque appeared for the students.
Murad Reza said, “Eastern University, Southeast University and Bangladesh Islami University admitted more than 50 students in one semester violating the UGC and Bangladesh Bar Council’s provision. That is why the court fined them Tk 10 lakh each.”
After showing the deposit slip in the Bar Council, the admitted students will get registration cards for appearing in the Bar Council test.
The University Grants Commission on April 23 in 2014 issued a circular saying that the private universities of the country can’t admit more than 50 students in LLB program in one semester.
Recently the Bangladesh Bar Council announced that they will not issue the registration cards for appearing in the Bar Council test to the Law Graduates of those universities which violated the UGC and Bar Council condition.
In this circumstance, the victim students of these three universities filed a writ petition with the High Court to get registration cards for Bar Council test.
After hearing, the High Court in September last year directed Bar Council to give the opportunities to the students to appear in the Bar Council test.
Later Bar Council appealed against the High Court orders and after hearing the Appellate Division upheld the High Court orders by rejecting Bar Council petition.
Then the Bar Council sought review of the order of the Appellate Division. After holding hearing on the review petition, the court fined the universities.
