The Appellate Division of the Supreme Court on Wednesday fined City University Tk 10 lakh for violating a provision of University Grants Commission (UGC) in admitting students in the Law department.
The university authority has been asked to deposit the amount in the account of Bangladesh Bar Council, the licensing and regularity
body for all advocates through out Bangladesh.
After showing the deposit slip to the Bar Council, the 25 students of the university will be allowed to appear in the Bar Council test scheduled to be held on February 28 this year, said the court.
A four-member bench of the Appellate Division headed by Chief Justice Syed Mahmud Hossain passed the order after disposing of a review petition filed by Bar Council.
Meanwhile, Vice Chancellor of the university Professor Dr Md Shah-E-Alam appeared in the court complying with the court’s earlier order to explain his role.
Advocate AY Moshiuzzaman appeared in the court on behalf of Bangladesh Bar Council, while Advocate AM Amin Uddin appeared for the students.
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 City University violated the provision.
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 25 victim students of the university filed a writ petition with the High Court to get registration cards for Bar Council test.
After hearing, the High Court on October 24, 2019, directed to Bar Council to give opportunity to the students to appear in the Bar Council test.
Later Bar Council appealed against the High Court order and after hearing the appellate division upheld the High Court order. Then the Bar Council sought review of the order and after hearing on the review petition, the court fined the university.
